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Breakfast or a snack? Study says consumers see both the same way

America is fast becoming a nation of snackers and a new study indicates that the trend starts with breakfast.

May 24, 2016

Mom may have said it's the most important meal of the day, but new research shows that very few of us pay heed to that advice and now relegate breakfast to the status of a snack. In fact, a new report from research firm Packaged Facts indicates that Americans are continuing to gravitate toward a snacking lifestyle, as opposed to one ruled by the three square daily meals of our parents and grandparents.

The  new report, Breakfast: Retail Market Trends and Opportunities in the U.S., shows that about one-quarter (24 percent) of consumers said they snack instead of having a full  meal in the morning. The research showed that this trend is "most pronounced for younger adults and children."

"As restaurant brands such as Denny's have long known, and as McDonald's success with all-day breakfast cements, foods traditionally associated with the breakfast day-part can also find success during other parts of the day and/or as a snack," says Packaged Facts Research Director David Sprinkle. 

So how does this translate for restaurants?

As far as edible offerings that fit in the snack-as-meal category, the study found that certain foods reign supreme and may be worth considering for the menu. For instance, yogurt in all its forms — from working as an ingredient in smoothies and mixed with cereal, to standing alone as a take-along snack — will likely continue to draw consumers, the study said. The research found that 39 percent of adults snack on yogurt and 44 percent eat it for breakfast, according to a synopsis of study findings.

Three other snack-or-meal winners from the study include:

• bacon (43 percent ate for breakfast and 16 percent snacked on it);
• cold cereal (55 percent ate it for breakfast and 25 percent snacked on it); and
• pancakes and French toast (33 percent ate one of these for breakfast, while 13 percent snacked on them).

The study authors also reported in a press release that there appears to be a lot of room for growth in this category. So restaurateurs who can come up with clever ways to package attractive foods with enhanced portability and reduced preparation requirements may stand to gain business.

As an example, the study authors said products such as Kellogg's grab-and-go cups — especially the brand’s “to go” breakfast mixes in single-serve resealable pouches that fit car cup-holders — were all produced to be eaten without milk. The pouches even contain larger chunks than the traditional cereals to be more like snacks than ingredients that mix with milk.

Could something on a traditional menu benefit from that kind of product revamp and draw new to-go customers?