"Let's Cut Back on Snack Spending"... How the Status of Snacks Has Changed Since the Great Depression [Delicious Stories]

US Consumers Cut Back on Snacks Amid Economic Downturn
A Century Ago, the Great Depression Was a Boom Time for Snacks
Now Seen as Unhealthy, High-Calorie Treats
But When Food Was Scarce, Snacks Were Innovative Products That Saved the Poor

Editor's NoteIt is said that the first snacks were discovered in the ancient Mesopotamian civilization. Snacks have accompanied every moment of human history. From biscuits, chocolate, to ice cream, we bring you delicious stories behind the snacks we have loved.

Since President Donald Trump began a tariff war after taking office, snack consumption in the United States has sharply declined. A new term, "snack recession," has even emerged to describe the phenomenon.

Snacks were a popular item even during the Great Depression a century ago, serving as a lifeline for hungry people. The Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act, which further contracted international trade during the Great Depression of the 1930s, and the tariff war initiated by Trump in 2025, have both created similar economic downturns. However, the snack industry has experienced starkly different outcomes in each era.

"Cutting Back on Everything but Essentials" - An Unprecedented Snack Recession

Pixabay

As President Trump initiated the tariff war, consumers, concerned about rising prices of imported goods, first cut back on snacks and treats. Major companies such as cereal maker General Mills, beverage and snack manufacturer Pepsi, and canned soup giant Campbell all reported a decline in first-quarter sales. In a recent survey conducted by market research firm NIQ of 1,000 American consumers, 42% of respondents said they had reduced their snack purchases due to rising prices.

Traditionally, snacks have been regarded as "comfort food" that people turn to even more during economic downturns, because they are cheaper than other foods and provide intense flavors. However, snacks have now become the first category that consumers cut back on. The perception that snacks are high in calories but lack useful nutrients has pushed them down the priority list, behind essential groceries.

US media outlets such as CNN and CNBC are calling this phenomenon a "snack recession." WKYC Channel 3, an NBC affiliate, also described it as "a sign that Americans can no longer afford even small indulgences," explaining that "people are removing sweet and salty snacks from their shopping carts and choosing essential groceries instead."

Snacks Are Just Treats Now... But During the Great Depression, They Were Different

'Pie of Despair' recreated using a recipe from the Great Depression era. With no money to buy filling, crushed biscuits and crackers were used instead. Screenshot from the US community 'Reddit'

The fact that consumers are now cutting back on snacks is a complete reversal from the situation during the Great Depression, the greatest economic crisis in US history a hundred years ago. At that time, most industries in the United States were hit hard by the Great Depression, but the processed food industry, including snacks, became a foundation for growth.

During the Great Depression, the poverty rate in the United States reached about 68%, meaning that 7 out of 10 Americans could not even afford regular meals. As a result, hungry Americans scraped together low-quality ingredients to make whatever food they could, and the meals of that era are still remembered as so-called "Depression-era recipes." The most notable feature of these recipes was the use of processed foods such as snacks and desserts, mixed with basic ingredients to increase caloric content.

Potato candy (left) and a 1933 advertisement for the American corn chip snack 'Fritos.' The Old Hen Archive, Facebook capture

One representative Depression-era recipe was "potato candy," made by injecting yellow coloring into cheap potatoes to create a butter-like appearance, then coating the surface with sugar and cocoa powder to mimic a high-end chocolate dessert. "Pie of Despair," which stuffed pie crusts with crushed biscuits and crackers to increase the filling, and Fritos, the iconic American corn chip snack, were also hugely popular foods in the 1930s. At a time when most households could not obtain fresh ingredients such as butter, meat, or milk, snacks were not just treats?they were an important source of affordable, high-calorie nutrition.