Food on the Run An Emerging Sector Worth $90 Billion

CHICAGORecent research dove into the daily eating habits of Americans and found that the age-old image of a family seated around the dining room table enjoying a home-cooked meal is falling by the wayside, while the number of Americans grabbing food on the run is an emerging segment, currently valued at $90 billion, according to new market data from Information Resources, Inc. (IRI).

While 79% of Americans are planners and eat three meals or several smaller meals throughout the day, research shows 21% eat on the run. Dubbed opportunists" by IRI, these eaters tend to grab food and drink throughout the day as the opportunity arises, with little consideration as to whether they are eating a meal or a snack, as reported in the study, How America Eats: Capturing Growth with Food on the Run."

Compared to the planned eaters, opportunists are less inclined to factor healthy eating into their daily regimen. More opportunists (36%) split their healthy and indulgent behaviors equally, eating healthy half the time and eating more freely the rest of the time, compared to planners (31%). A large number of opportunist eaters (39%) grab convenient foods with little thought as to whether those foods are playing the role of a snack or meal.

Opportunists are also more value-driven, the research showed. For example, 31% of opportunists tend to buy whatever food/beverage is on sale with little concern for nutritional value, compared to 18% of planners. Likewise, available coupons/discounts are a key influencer of meal/snack decisions for one-third of opportunists, versus about one-quarter of planners.

Results show opportunists still enjoy cooking (49%), but look for convenience when evaluating food and beverage options. Two-thirds want foods that are quick and easy to prepare, and one-third prefer to eat heat-and-eat or ready-to-eat foods rather than preparing options from scratch. As a result, opportunists spent 60% more on frozen appetizers and snack rolls versus planners during the past year. Frozen appetizers and snack rolls, as well as a variety of other convenience-oriented categories, are expected to demonstrate high growth, especially among opportunist eaters versus the market as a whole.

Opportunist eaters hail from diverse backgrounds, cutting across age, income and household brackets. Two-thirds of opportunists are female, and 92% are of non-Hispanic origin. Skewing slightly to the lower end of the income spectrum, nearly two-thirds of opportunists come from single-member or two-member households. Many are living a bachelor/bachelorette life, or the life of a dual-income-no-kid family, where life is a bit less scheduled. Just under half are under the age of 45.