On this episode of The Twin Cities Business Show, we sit down with Hormel Foods president John Ghingo for an in-depth conversation about where the company is heading. The company runs top food brands like SPAM, Skippy, Planters, Applegate, Herdez, and more.

How did the protein frenzy take over America? He shared some details on the long-running consumer trend and how people have recently been looking more at the full range of health benefits offered by protein, including aging, bone health, weight management, and more.

Hormel does protein “the old fashioned way”, which Ghingo thinks is what sets them apart. People used to eat three square meals—today, they’re more likely to eat five smaller meals. This trend has been driven by a number of things, including an increase in working from home. At the same time, snacks used to be about treats, but now they’re more about fueling the body for the day. Hormel is focused on driving their brands towards fueling people during those snack windows, like expanding Skippy peanut butter from sandwiches into portable snacks.

How does a company like Hormel predict what people are going to eat five years into the future? When thinking about supply chains, marketing, branding, and more, they need to know what people want way before they ever think about heading to the cupboard. Ghingo shared how they’ve mapped out consumer behavior across their day to find moments where they can meet them, then use that data to predict how people will be eating in the years to come.