When snacking becomes healthy

Whether it is quinoa chips or chia seed cookies, snack food products, once dismissed as pure junk, have taken a turn toward the healthy and natural, and it seems the world’s consumers couldn’t be happier. Globally, consumers are increasingly aware of the importance of a good diet on their health, according to Reema Mansour, founder of Biolicious, a Lebanese company which produces organic and gluten-free snacks and foods. “People are much more aware that what they eat has a direct impact on how they feel. Plus, there has been a large global rise in food sensitivities and allergies,” Mansour explains. [pullquote] Major food producers in Lebanon have woken up to the potential profit in healthy snack foods [/pullquote] This increased awareness has come with a splurge in spending, too. According to Euromonitor, a global market research firm, worldwide sales of health food products are estimated to reach $1 trillion by