Snacks nation: Food makers turning everything into snacks

Meat processing giant Tyson launched Hillshire Snacking this year with packs of cut-up chicken that people are supposed to grab and eat with their hands (120 calories per pack).

Canned meat maker Hormel is testing "Spam Snacks," which are dried chunks of the famous meat in re-sealable bags (220 calories per bag).

After years of slumping cereal sales, Kellogg recently introduced Kellogg's To Go pouches, which hold slightly larger pieces of cereal the company says were "specifically created to be eaten by hand" (190 calories per pouch, which is comparable in size to a bag of potato chips).

Even Hershey is trying to become more of a snacks player with "snack mixes" that seem like trail mix, except with Reese's peanut butter cups and mini chocolate bars (280 calories per package).

[...] the blurring lines are making people reach for snacks with benefits they might otherwise get from a meal, like protein or fiber.

Prices will vary depending on the retailer, but the suggested retail price for a snack pack of Hillshire's grilled chicken is $2.49, while Kellogg's To Go pouch sells for about $2.

The various efforts to court snackers may not succeed over the long term, but Kellogg promises that the pouches for its cereal snacks are "ergonomically designed to allow fingers to easily access the food" and Hershey describes its snack mixes as perfect for "one-handed eating."