• by Karl Greenberg , July 13, 2011

Canadian consumers recently polled by Technomic say they eat chicken more frequently than any other type of meat. But consumers say there are places where poultry could still work, like at breakfast or for snacking occasions.

Younger consumers are the most likely to look for chicken on the breakfast menu, with 21% saying they eat chicken for breakfast at least once per week compared to 9% of all chicken consumers. Nearly a quarter of consumers eat chicken as a snack at least once a week.

"Poultry is a very versatile protein that can be positioned in a number of ways for different day parts," says Technomic EVP Darren Tristano, in a statement. "We've seen an increase in the number of turkey items on breakfast menus, and also some high-profile additions of chicken items positioned as snacks."

Messages about fat, sodium and natural processing are the best pitches for poultry as a healthy food.

The firm says humane animal treatment and environmentally sound practices are of increasing importance to consumers: more than 50% said both of those items as important to them.

Both limited-and full-service restaurants have increased their use of turkey on the breakfast menu since 2008, positioning turkey sausage and bacon as a lighter, more healthful alternative to pork.