Sweet Americans. Salty Canadians. Who says there's no accounting for taste?

Two separate market research studies reveal striking cross-border differences and similarities between Canadians and Americans. American's lean toward sweets; Canadians toward salty snacks.

Americans are projected to increase their consumption of sweet snacks and desserts three times more than Canadians within the next ten years. Canadians were found to have less of a sweet tooth collectively than their American counterparts. Our neighbors to the north lean more towards salty or savory snack foods, like cheese, chips, and crackers, and their consumption of these snack foods will outpace population growth over the next decade.

The two nations are also moving in different directions when it comes to morning meals. Americans are projected to increase their consumption of "heat-and-eat" breakfast foods, such as bagels and frozen pancakes, while Canadians will be decreasing their consumption of the same products, according to the reports.

While the reports identified several differences in future eating behaviors between the two countries, there were also similarities. Convenience was found to be a key factor in the consumption of foods with both Americans and Canadians. Easy meals, such as yogurt, fruit, and snack bars, and heat-and-eat entrees, like canned soup and frozen pizza, are projected to grow almost equally in both countries over the next ten years.

From the Specialty Food Online Magazine