32 • May | June 2026 • abasto.com BY HERNANDO RAMÍREZ-SANTOS I magine two shoppers in the snack aisle of the same grocery store. One of them, a baby boomer, unhesitatingly goes for pecans, drawn by a lifeti- me of pralines and pies. The other, a Gen Z college student, skips the classics and looks for something swicy (sweet and spicy at the same time) that will surprise him. They stand very close to each other, but their snack worlds have little in common. For food retailers stoc- king shelves in 2026, that scene plays out millions of times a day. And Nuts. com released data explai- ning why. What the Research Reveals Talker Research surveyed 1,000 Americans between February 13 and 19, 2026, on behalf of Nuts.com, W h i c h N u t R u l e s Y o u r R e g i o n ? Nut Consumption Trends in the U.S. Research by Nuts.com confirms a favorite snack, but reveals that the rest of the map is a battleground the family-owned specialty food company founded in 1929. The results paint a detailed picture of U.S. nut consumption trends that every category buyer should take into account. Cashews Dominate U.S. Nut Consumption Trends Cashews, also known as the Indian nut or marigold nut, are the clear winner: 43% of Americans name them as their favorite nut for snacks and mixes. Every generation ranks them among their top two choices, making cashews “For nearly a century, Nuts.com has known that snacking is personal. Today we serve nearly a million customers with tastes ranging from lifelong favorites to bold, globally inspired flavors,” said CEO PJ Oleksak. PJ Oleksak | CEO • Continues on page. 34 the only common ground in a deeply fragmented landscape of tastes. However, generational differences are notable. Baby Boomers lead with a 51% preference for cas- hews and nearly 40% more love for pecans compared to Millennials. In contrast, Gen Z is 25% more likely to choose pistachios or almonds, and seven times more inclined toward tangy snacks than their elders. Young people seek variety and intense sensations; older adults lean toward comfort. Special Insert Sweets & snacks