Take a trip to the grocery store, and you'll immediately come to the realization that supermarket shelves are saturated in an absurd number of different snacks. But what to choose? Among such a vast number of selections are the snacks that people continue to purchase time after time until they become go-to classics.
These are the beloved treats we decided to showcase—from M&Ms to Lay's potato chips, these snacks probably represent at least one of your favorite foods. These are the nation's most popular snacks, as measured by consumer opinion.
1. Kettle
Kettle chips are cut thicker than other chips like Lay's, which means they have more of a crunch to them. Additionally, they sometimes have these lovely natural folds in them, which gives you even more crunch. And when you consider how well-salted they are, it's clear why this brand is always going to be a winner in our hearts. Of course, the plain salted chips are a great option, particularly if you're trying the brand out for the first time. But once you've found your footing, you should totally explore the other flavors. The jalapeño chips are the best, but the Korean barbecue flavor takes a close second. Try them all and see which one you like the most.
2. Hershey's
Food Dive reported that consumers bought $1.6 billion worth of Hershey's chocolate bars in 2020. The company as a whole earned $8.15 billion in sales in 2020, according to Statista. That loyalty from customers is reflected in the YouGov list, with the Hershey's brand as a whole coming in at number two. Hershey's is the oldest candy bar on this list, debuting all the way back in 1900. Company founder Milton S. Hershey had started in the caramel business, but his small operation turned into an empire when he switched to making milk chocolate (via Britannica). Three years after he introduced his famous chocolate bar, Hershey broke ground on the largest chocolate factory in the world. Hershey's was so important to the economy in its home state of Pennsylvania that it spawned its own town, Hershey, where workers at the candy plant lived.
3. Oreo Cookies
Creme slathered between two chocolate cookies is perhaps one of the most satisfying food items to dunk in a cold glass of milk. The Oreo cookie has been on the shelves since 1912, and in 2016, the product accumulated more than $2 billion in global annual revenue—the most of any cookie company that year.
4. Tostitos
There are plenty of brands that offer amazing tortilla chips. But if we're talking about popular American snacks, there's no denying that Tostitos have a death grip on the market. And it makes sense. Not only do they offer your standard tortilla chip, generously blessed with salt and just as crunchy as your heart desires, but they also have the Tostitos Scoops, which really are a dream come true for any sauce lover. You can get Tostitos with a hint of lime or choose a bag that already has guacamole baked into the chip (yes, you heard that right).
5. Doritos
Today we associate Doritos with a rainbow of wild flavors and with mashups like the Doritos Locos Taco. But when they debuted, the chips were very simple. The Huffington Post reports that the original Doritos were basic salted tortilla chips that tasted like toasted corn. Seasoning dust didn't enter the picture until a year after the chips launched nationally, with the Taco flavor hitting shelves in 1967. Nacho cheese, the most popular Doritos flavor in history, got its start in 1972. The addictive mix of crunchy texture and savory seasoning makes Doritos far-and-away the most successful tortilla chip brand in America, selling $2.4 billion worth of chips in 2019, almost four times as much as the second-place finisher (via Snack Food & Wholesale Bakery). We just can't get enough of that powerhouse combo of salty, fatty, and umami.
