ZOE's Research into Snacking

In our ZOE PREDICT study, snacking was extremely common: 95% of participants were 'snackers'. People ate around 2 snacks per day on average, and snacks made up around 24% of daily calories.

We found that snacking itself wasn't the problem. When we looked at snack frequency and the amount of energy from snacks, those weren't associated with unfavourable outcomes. What did matter was snack quality and timing: higher-quality snacking was associated with more favourable metabolic markers and reduced hunger.

Timing also stood out: around 30% of people were late-evening snackers (after 9pm), which was linked to less favourable health markers. So it's not about telling people not to snack — it's about helping people snack better, in a food environment where low-quality snacks are often the easiest option. You can read more about our Snacking Study here

Snacking is incredibly common, and we know from our research that snacking in itself is not a problem. Instead, it's the quality of snack that can impact your health.

ZOE's approach to snacking is about choosing foods that are genuinely satisfying and help support long-term health — not snacks that are high in added sugar or heavily processed. The Gut Health Bar is designed to fit this ethos: the bars pack in plant diversity, are high in fibre, are a source of plant protein, and contain less than 5g sugar.

We also designed the Gut Health Bar to have a complex, chewy texture by preserving the natural, intact structure of many of the plant ingredients. This means the bars take longer to eat compared to many snack bars designed to be consumed in just a few bites, for a more substantial eating experience.

In short, we're focused on helping people snack better by raising the standard for what a convenient snack can be.