Health Concerns & More Mobile Lifestyles Are Driving ‘On-the-Go’ Foods Market.

U.S. consumers are increasingly opting for foods, and especially healthier foods, that require minimal or no preparation. And, as a result, the market for “on-the-go” foods is expanding, both in terms of products and places where one can buy them, according to On-the-Go Eating: Consumer Mindsets, Menu Trends and Product/Packaging Innovations, a new report from market research publisher Packaged Facts, a division of MarketResearch.com.

Of course, portable foods are nothing new, as anyone who has eaten at a fast-food restaurant can attest. But what’s changing, according to the report, is the types of venues where consumers can buy on-the-go meals: more traditional “sit-down” restaurants, supermarkets, convenience stores, and even vending machines.

One of the strongest signs that consumer attitudes and eating habits are being greatly altered by on-the-go lifestyles is the blurring of the line between meals and snacks.

Although two-thirds of Americans say they still eat three square meals a day, one-quarter are down to two a day, and 10% are “grazers,” hopping from snack to snack, according to IRI. Missed meals are often replaced by snacks, and many of those who eat three meals a day are snacking between meals. At the same time, Americans are taking a more balanced approach to eating on-the-go, realizing the need to balance convenience with healthy eating, the report notes.

“Americans now spend more than 100 hours a year commuting to work, and these statistics represent market growth potential for convenient food products tailored for eating on-the-go,” said Don Montuori, acquisitions editor of Packaged Facts. “In particular, car-friendly food packaging designed to be one-hand accessiblehand-held, utensil-less, spill-free, and cup-holder compatible is in heavy demand.”

On-the-Go Eating examines the market for convenient and hand-held foods in quick-service and fast-casual restaurants, mass-market food retailers, and alternative channels, such as convenience stores and vending. Key trends covered include the steadily growing demand for gourmet sandwiches in foodservice channels and their untapped market potential in supermarkets, convenience stores, and other mass-market retailers; the impact that litigation and new and proposed legislation is having on food producers and marketers; and the increasing focus on combating obesity and related illnesses in the United States via healthier fare, including among kids.

For more informatiopn at http://www.MarketResearch.com.