Snackification is defined as the act of snacking more than eating distinct meals. It’s a current trend among young consumers.

In fact, according to Baum+Whiteman’s latest report, “17 Hottest Food and Dining Trends for Restaurants & Hotels 2013,” people are eating less at every meal, but making up for it with endless snacking. Case in point: snacks now account for one of every five eating occasions. And, today’s refrigerated and frozen snack producers are in prime position for taking over that center-of-the-plate spot.

Grab-and-go comfort foods
Reser’s Fine Foods, Beaverton, Ore., debuted its newest refrigerated products, a lineup of value-added salads and kits for both grab-and-go purchases and behind-the-deli-case glass merchandising. New products include Loaded Potato Salad, BBQ Smokehouse Beans, Curry Ginger Couscous, Low-Fat Greek Yogurt Potato Salad, Loaded Mashed Potato Kit, Sensational Sides Buttermilk & Chives Mashed Potatoes, Fresh Creative Baked Brie En Croutes and Fresh Creative Torta Cheese Balls.

Protein snacks
Canada-based Maple Leaf Foods introduced Maple Leaf Natural Selections PROTINIS, a complete protein snack made with oven-roasted seasoned chicken or combinations of oven-roasted chicken and dried fruit. PROTINIS come in Oven Roasted Chicken, Sweet Thai Chili Chicken, Mild Salsa Chicken, Honey Garlic Chicken, Oven Roasted Chicken and Cranberry, Oven Roasted Chicken and Superfruit, Oven Roasted Chicken and Mango and Oven Roasted Chicken and Apple varieties.

Kraft Foods, Northfield, Ill., added on to its Oscar Mayer brand with P3 Portable Protein Pack line, which includes packs of Oscar Mayer Selects meats, Kraft Natural cheeses and Planters nuts, designed for active, on-the-go consumers in need of a quick pick-me-up. P3 Portable Protein Packs offer at least 13 grams of protein—the equivalent of two eggs— and come in the following varieties: Applewood smoked turkey, marbled Colby and Monterey Jack cheese and dry roasted almonds; Applewood smoked ham, reduced-fat sharp Cheddar cheese and dry roasted almonds; Rotisserie seasoned chicken, reduced-fat Cheddar cheese and dry roasted peanuts and slow roasted turkey breast, reduced-fat Cheddar cheese and dry roasted peanuts.

Savory still wins
Farm Rich, St. Simon’s Island, Ga., introduced new signature snacks, including Buffalo Blue Breaded, Pretzel Crusted Cheddar and Potato Stick Crusted Ranch Flavored cheese sticks.

Fries fry up to a whole new level
The Valen Group, the Cincinnati-based owner of the Red Robin brand, extended its signature Bottomless Steak Fries into the retail grocery via a strategic license with ConAgra Foods, Omaha, Neb.

McCain Foods USA, Lisle, Ill., launched WISE FRIES, made with a new proprietary batter recipe that keeps just enough oil on the outside for great taste and crispness while maintaining the potato flavor inside. The WISE FRIES recipe helps protect the surface of the fry from absorbing as much oil as traditional fries.

Alexia Foods, Eagle, Idaho, is offering a better-for-you frozen fry option with Alexia Smart Classics. These roasted, never-fried French fries are 98% fat-free and offer 100 calories per serving. Made with U.S.-grown Yukon Select Potatoes, these fries are lightly seasoned with a touch of sea salt for a gourmet flavor. They come in straight-cut, crinkle-cut and tri-cut options.

Mr. Dee’s, Inc., Libertyville, Ill., launched OLD BAY Natural Cut Seasoned Fries. While common on restaurant menus, especially along the Eastern seaboard, never before have OLD BAY seasoned fries been available in freezer cases nationwide. Restaurant quality for in-home consumption.

Mr. Dee’s also expanded its Dee Amoré line with festive, upscale holiday appetizers featuring a 27-piece Shrimp Collection, which includes shrimp money bags, shrimp spring rolls and shrimp and crab rangoon, along with a Thai sweet chili dipping sauce; the 21-piece Shrimp, Crab & Lobster Puff Pastry Collection, consisting of crab and lobster pinwheels, shrimp and spinach bowties and shrimp and lobster Newburg; and Loaded Potato Skins with Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese, nitrate-free bacon and chives.

Simple soups
To help families who may not have time to prepare nutritious meals from scratch, Laura’s Lean Beef, Lexington, Ky., introduced Laura’s Kitchen, a new line of natural deli meats, soups and entrées made with wholesome ingredients and produced without the use of antibiotics or hormones. The restaurant-quality soups come in Steak Chili with Red Beans, Beef Stew, Chicken & Dumpling, Chicken & Corn Tortilla, Chicken Noodle, Chicken with Garden Vegetables, Minestrone and Creamy Tomato Bisque.

Blount Fine Foods, Fall River, Mass., launched a team of premium, single-serve 10-ounce grab-and-go retail soups available in New England Clam Chowder, Creamy Tomato, Broccoli Cheddar, Chicken Tortilla, Baked Potato and Chicken Noodle varieties. Each hand-crafted batch of soup boasts a 70-day shelf life.

Pocket-sized snacks
Tofurky, Hood River, Ore., introduced a new line of frozen microwavable Tofurky Pockets. Available in BBQ Chick’n, Pepperoni Pizza and Turk’y Broccoli & Cheddar varieties, these non-GMO, 100% vegan snacks are made with organic soy and are completely free of preservatives and other artificial ingredients.

To learn more about these and other new retail snacks, appetizers and side dishes, go to http://bit.ly/19VCNBi.