Consumers are increasingly pivoting from the typical “three meals a day with snacks in between” format. In December 2019, only 35% of consumers said that this format fits their current dining behavior, an 8% decrease from January 2018, according to the 2020 Snacking Occasion Consumer Trend Report by CSP sister research firm Technomic, Chicago.
Additionally, more consumers now than two years ago are either having many snacks between meals or are simply not snacking at all between meals, something Technomic defines as an “extreme” snacking behavior. Capitalizing on consumers’ extreme snacking behaviors and ditching traditional snacking formats presents an opportunity for operators to tinker with portion size, unique items, fad diets and more.