• by Karlene Lukovitz  @KLmarketdaily, August 10, 2007

Americans may treat themselves to the occasional gourmet or exotic meal, but when it comes to their day-to-day fare, they show an increasing penchant for valuing convenience over all else, including taste and nutritional value.

Yet, among packaged foods and snacks, only quick breakfast options, yogurt and a few types of snacks--mainly healthier options--increased their household penetration rates by one percentage point or more during the past few years, according to a new "On-the-Go Eating" study from the Packaged Facts division of MarketResearch.com.

Between 2003 and 2006, Hot Pockets frozen breakfast entrees/sandwiches upped their penetration from zero to 7.4%, PF's analysis of Simmons data for a broad range of on-the-go brands shows.

Aunt Jemima (up 1.7 points, to 4.2%) and Jimmy Dean entrees/sandwiches (up 1.5 points, to 7.0%) also saw healthy penetration growth.

On the yogurt front, Yoplait's household penetration grew 1.4 points, to 19.8%. (Stonyfield Farm's gain was just short of one percentage point, rising from 1.7% to 2.4%.)

Among snacks, most of the significant gainers were brands positioned as healthy choices. These included Nature Valley Bars (up nearly three percentage points, to 10.3%), the Power Bar (from zero to 2%) and Nabisco Fruit Snacks (zero to 1.6%).

Two brands of meat snacks also showed notable growth--perhaps in part because protein is still a draw, although the low-carb craze has subsided. Jack Link's penetration increased 2.9 points, to 5.3%, and Oberto's rose 0.8 point, to 5%.

The rest of the big on-the-go packaged food brands were stagnant, or saw slight losses, in terms of household penetration. PF attributes this to product maturity; the growing success of quick-service restaurants in offering snacks and other lighter, on-the-go fare; and retailers' increasing emphasis on fresh-made salads, sandwiches and other convenience items.

Sales trends more or less mirror the penetration trends. PF's analysis of IRI data for mass-market outlets (supermarkets, drug stores and mass merchandisers, excluding Wal-Mart) shows yogurt as the No.1 dollar gainer between 2005 and 2006: up $185 million (7.2%), to $2.8 billion. Dannon's new Activa brand did much to boost the category (ringing up $126 million last year), as did all of Yoplait's yogurt and yogurt drink selections (the brand's Light Thick And Creamy and Light varieties saw sales increases of $34 million and $32 million, respectively, for example.)

Non-breakfast frozen handheld entrees (up $124 million, to $1.2 billion) and single-serve frozen dinners/entrees (up $83 million, to $3.6 billion) ranked second and third in dollar gains.

Stouffer's hit the jackpot, with a string of impressive hits. Lean Cuisine One Dish Favorite single-serve frozen entrees added $97 million in sales (up 262%), to total $134 million; Lean Cuisine Comfort Classics gained $84 million, or 184%, to total $130 million; Lean Cuisine Casual Eating Classics handheld entrees leaped by $77 million, or 3,272% (yes, you read that right), to $79 million; Corner Bistro handheld entrees sold nearly $35 million in their first year; Stouffer's Single-Serve entrees gained $30 million, or 8.5%, to reach $378 million; and Corner Bistro Single-Serve entrees gained $29 million, or 168%, to reach $46 million.

Granola bars ranked fourth in dollar gains--up $76 million (12%), to $698 million. In addition, "all other snack/granola bars" ranked ninth in gains, up $22 million (585%), to $25 million.

Virtually all snack bars from major brands saw gains. Quaker's Chewy 90 Calories and Oatmeal To Go bars added $35 million and $31 million in sales, respectively, and its breakfast/snack bars gained $20 million (604%). Nature Valley Sweet & Salty Nut Granola Bars posted a $23 million (56%) increase, and Kashi's bars were up by $19 million (143%).

Frozen appetizers/snack rolls were in fifth place, gaining $40 million, to a total $880 million.

Frozen breakfast foods ranked sixth, with a $35 million (9%) gain, to $402 million. (Frozen handheld breakfast items ranked 16th, with a $6 million, or 2%, increase, to $293 million.) Standard refrigerated dinner entrees and weight-control liquids/powders earned seventh and eighth places--up by $33 million (4.5%) and $25 million (3%), respectively.

Refrigerated fresh soups were hot, rounding out the top 10 with a $20-million (26%) sales gain, to total $97 million.