Utz CEO says that Boulder Canyon potato chips are doing well with customers looking for healthier snacks

• Some buyers opt for healthier ingredients found in the Boulder Canyon chips, Utz Brands CEO Dylan Lissette told CNBC.
• Utz Brands reworked the Boulder product since it acquired Inventure Foods in 2017, he said.
• Utz plans to spend more on digital advertising to reach new customers, according to CNBC.

Some Utz Brands buyers are opting for snacks with healthier ingredients such as the avocado oil used to cook the Boulder Canyon potato chips, Utz Brands CEO Dylan Lissette told CNBC.

The snack company has been rebranding and developing the Boulder Canyon chips since it bought its manufacturer Inventure Foods in 2017, said Lissette on CNBC's Mad Money.

"We've got a lot of excitement around those 'better for you brands'," Lissette said.

Before the coronavirus pandemic, consumers had been buying healthier snacks. A summary report by Health Focus International found people are also willing to pay more for foods and beverages that are both healthy and indulgent.

Utz's lineup of healthy snacks includes Veggie Chips, Half Naked Popcorn, and potato chips cooked in olive oil and avocado oil, according to the company's website.

In the company's earnings report on Thursday, Utz's CFO Cary Devore said that the company saw a "significant" increase in new buyers and higher purchase repeat rates over the past year.

Food shopping habits changed during the pandemic as people resorted to comfort food and snacks more often, according to Consumer Reports.

This week, Sam's Club CEO Kathryn McLay told The New York Times in an interview that the retailer's customers went through phases when they were buying pizza, ice cream, and potato chips during COVID-19. Sam's Club called those periods "carbs and calories," she said.

Utz plans to grow sales and reach new customers in 2021 by increasing its digital advertising spend by 60% and potentially more, Lissette told CNBC.

Social media and digital ads do well compared to having one commercial that runs through the year "and realizing it didn't really give you what you needed," he added.