Foodservice

Will Snacking Put an End to Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner?

Americans still average fewer than three main meals per day

PORT WASHINGTON, N.Y. -- Despite a fondness for snacking, Americans still eat three main meals a day.

sitting down to dinner

Between-meal snacking accounts for about a third of all eating occasions, but consumers continue to view the day as having three main meal occasions that align with breakfast, lunch and dinner, according to The NPD Group’s daily tracking of eating and snacking behaviors.

The adherence to three main meals is culturally based. Daily societal norms in the United States are typically scheduled around mealtimes: going to work and school after breakfast, taking a break for lunch and being home by dinner. This conditioning begins at a young age, but as individuals get older they begin skipping meals, with a dip in their 20s and then again later in life, NPD reports.

Even though more meals are skipped, a consumer still averages just fewer than three meals per day.

“There is a lot of buzz about snacking these days. One headline could talk about how snacking is up and another might say we graze throughout the day instead of eating a main meal,” says Darren Seifer, food and beverage industry analyst and author of NPD's "Snacking in America." “While those headlines are eye-grabbing and give people something to talk about, it’s important to read past them and dig into the details.”

NPD found the number of dishes and ingredients used to prepare main meals continues to decline as more consumers rely on “healthy” portable snack foods as part of their breakfast, lunch and dinners. However, these mini-meals are not adding new or additional occasions to the day.

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