We all know the feeling of adding an irresistible snack to your cart in the checkout line, or mindlessly grabbing something to nibble on while you make dinner. Snacking is inherently spontaneous: 61% of snacking occasions are decided less than an hour before eating.  

And while meal occasions typically involve a bit more planning, many consumers still feel that “what’s for dinner tonight?” crunch. 43% of meal occasions are decided less than an hour before eating, and 20% are decided about an hour before.  

As the line between meals and snacks continues to blur, it’s critical to understand how these occasion types differ in key areas: sourcing methods, the types of foods and beverages consumed, prominent need states and more. 

The third report in our 2024 occasion series, Eating & Drinking Occasions Landscape: Meal vs. Snack Occasions, helps you understand those differences so you can optimize your product, marketing and innovation efforts. 

This set of data-focused dashboards is quick and easy-to-digest, drawing on nearly 15,000 U.S. adult eating and drinking occasions from our proprietary Compass Eating & Drinking Occasions Database. These dashboards include critical data on these two occasion types, covering details like:

• Categories consumed and preparation methods used
• Trip type, purchasing and decision timeframes, top sources and retail channels
• Top need states, emotional context and occasion characteristics
• Key differences across demographics

Is your strategy optimized to meet consumers’ needs across dayparts and occasion types? This 13-page report has the data you need to better tailor your offerings. 

Purchase the report

Want even more insights on eating occasions? 

Eating & Drinking Occasions Landscape 2023: Settling Into a New Era provides an in-depth analysis of U.S. adult eating and drinking behaviors and how those behaviors have changed over the last five years.

To gain a deeper understanding of the cultural implications these findings have for your business, connect with Shelley Balanko to discuss custom engagement options: shelley@hartman-group.com

Source: Eating & Drinking Occasions Landscape: Meal vs. Snack Occasions, Hartman Group