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In the last 15 months, we have been forced to stay at home in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Fear and uncertainty amid the pandemic are unprecedented. Living within the four walls of our house during these difficult times can take a toll on our mental and physical health. Facing the new normal of working from home, home-schooling of children has been keeping us all very busy. Hence, it is more important than ever to look after ourselves and our mental and physical well-being. So what we eat and drink has become more important than ever.

But one thing that didn’t change is mid-meal cravings that can be very notorious accompanied by a feeling of guilt. So, the need of the hour was to make sure one can snack as much as they want, without an ounce of regret or even a slight compromise on their healthy lifestyle.

"2020 saw a significant increase in consumption of in-home food items and packs leading to elevated demand. In 2021 the similar trends were identified but with the active vaccination drives in the country, people are hoping to get back to work, where the consumption out of home is also expected to rise," says Asheesh Kumar Sharma, Vice President Marketing, Agro Tech Foods Limited

Taking a cue from the rising consumer demands brands have come up with ready to eat multigrain cereals that are not only healthy and tasty but also convenient to consume. They aim to ensure that taste and convenience is not compromised and customers can consume them both in-home and out-of-home.

In India preference for multigrain products has witnessed a considerable rise. More and more consumers prioritise healthy living and eating habits, it is no surprise that multigrain products have become more desirable as it comes with a number of benefits such as the following:

• 1. High nutritional content than regular cereals

Multigrain cereals are a rich source of protein, which is an essential macro-nutrient for our well-being. Consuming foods that are rich in protein help you stay full and satisfied for longer and can have a considerable positive impact on your body in the long run. Multigrain foods deliver a variety of important nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, protein, fibre, and other healthy plant compounds.

• 2. Support healthy digestion and improves metabolism

A fibre-rich diet helps in keeping you energetic and happier, encouraging an active lifestyle. This process happens as the fibre helps the body to vacate bowels more effectively, preventing constipation and maintaining bowel health. Consumption of foods that are rich in dietary fibre also help relieve the body of indigestion and a number of problems that are caused by it.

• 3. Overall health benefit

The dietary fibre from multigrain is a part of an overall healthy diet as they help in improving blood cholesterol levels

The health benefits attached to multigrain products are many, but there are many more reasons for you to be consuming multigrain ready to eat cereals. The top 3 reasons are:

• 1. Great tasting good nutrition

Humans live to eat and eat to live, and given our lifestyle today it is important to find options that satisfy taste buds without making you feel guilty. For example, Sundrop Popz is loaded with the goodness of nutritious multi-grains. It has a tasty chocolatey cream inside and a crunchy chocolatey cereal outside, which makes for the perfect answer to the pesky hunger pangs that hit you any time of the day.

• 2. Various consumption opportunities

Ready-to-eat cereal snacks are convenient to consume. It is a quick no-cook meal that can hold off hunger for hours. Going with ready-to-eat cereal means you can prepare and eat breakfast in 10 to 15 minutes or you can consume these healthy yet delicious cereals during mid-meals.

• 3. Weight management

Multigrain cereal can help weight management because fibre produces a feeling of fullness, discouraging overeating which helps reduce intake of junk food.

In the past few months, we have been forced to stay at home due to COVID-19. Fear and uncertainty amid the pandemic are unprecedented. Living within the four walls of our house during these difficult times can take a toll on our mental and physical health. In addition, facing the new normal of working from home, children's home-schooling has kept us all very busy. So what we eat and drink has become more critical than ever. But one thing that didn’t change is our mid-meal cravings that can be very notorious, accompanied by guilt. As a result, 2020 saw a significant increase in consumption of in-home food items, leading to elevated demand.

Mr Asheesh Kumar Sharma, Vice President, Marketing, Agro Tech Foods Limited, states that "in 2021, similar trends have been identified, but people are hoping to get back to work with active vaccination drives in the country, where the consumption out of home is also expected to rise. Taking a cue from the rising consumer demands, brands have come up with multigrain cereals that are healthy and tasty and convenient to consume. They aim to ensure that taste and convenience is not compromised and customers can consume them both in-home and out-of-home. In India, the preference for multigrain products has witnessed a considerable rise."

It is no surprise that multigrain products have become more desirable as it comes with several benefits such as the following:

• 1) Support healthy digestion and improve metabolism:

A fibre-rich diet helps keep you energetic and happier, encouraging an active lifestyle. This process happens as the fibre helps the body to vacate bowels more effectively, preventing constipation and maintaining bowel health. Consumption of foods rich in dietary fibre also helps relieve the body of indigestion and several problems caused by it.

• 2) High nutritional content than regular cereals:

Multigrain cereals are a rich source of protein, which is an essential macronutrient for our well-being.

• 3) Overall health benefit:

The dietary fibre from multigrain is a part of an overall healthy diet as they help improve blood cholesterol levels.

The health benefits attached to multigrain products are all the more reasons for consuming multigrain cereals. The top 3 reasons by Mr Asheesh Kumar Sharma are:

• 1) Various consumption opportunities:

Cereal snacks are convenient to consume. It is a quick, no-cook meal that can hold off hunger for hours. Going with cereal means you can prepare and eat breakfast in 10 to 15 minutes or consume these healthy yet delicious cereals during mid-meals.

• 2) Great tasting, good nutrition:

Given our lifestyle today, it is important to find options that satisfy taste buds without making you feel guilty.

• 3) Weight management:

Multigrain cereal can help weight management because fibre produces a feeling of fullness, discouraging overeating, which helps reduce intake of junk food.

Our ever-evolving eating pattern has been witnessing a constant change between the breakfast cereals and snacking segments recently. This lifestyle transformation among people is due to the increase in disposable income followed by our inclination towards westernization. As a result, as per numerous studies, there has been a paradigm shift in consumer behaviour as more people turn to convenient food solutions.

The pandemic, amongst the zillion other things that it has changed in our lives, has also changed the way we eat. What were once simple indulgences are becoming sources of much-needed comfort and security during these uncertain times. While snacking was pretty much a part of our lives in the pre-COVID era, it was mainly between significant meals. But in the new normal while working from home, we have resorted to unique snacking occasions.

Elaborating on the trend, Asheesh Sharma, Vice President – Marketing, Agro Tech Foods Ltd, says, “We have seen a demand for healthy snacking options grow at a steady pace, that is because of the multiple snacking occasions that have emerged amidst the pandemic. To attend to their growing snacking needs, consumers are looking for options that are healthy, tasty and convenient to consume."

Choosing the right food for every occasion is crucial. Here’s a look at the prevailing circumstances that have emerged amidst the pandemic:

• 1. Never-ending work calls

The sudden change in the working patterns and environment have led to extended working hours that include never-ending zoom calls. Extended working hours in the comfort of home is still not an ideal situation, as we waltz through calls while longing to grab a quick bite. But we can squeeze in just enough time to switch our video off and consumers healthy ready to eat cereal snacks and satiate those hunger pangs.

• 2. The evergreen breakfast

Breakfast cereals such as cornflakes, wheat flakes, or muesli have been convenient choices for most Indians for quite a while now as many consider them relatively healthier. Moreover, since these are packaged and don't require cooking, they become the perfect fit for one’s morning routine while working from home or even while stepping out for work.

• 5. Late night movie plans

Binge-watching is an endurance sport, and snacking helps a person fuel—and, no doubt that the taste is even better on the couch. Hence, the ready to eat cereals are best suited while enjoying your favourite OTT content.