• by Sarah Mahoney , Staff Writer @mahoney_sarah, April 11, 2025

Greek yogurt is winning, as both a snack and a meal.

Americans are reshuffling their eating habits, grabbing earlier breakfasts, skipping formal lunches, and snacking their way through hybrid routines.

According to new research from Circana, the daily diet is shifting in subtle but significant ways. While the COVID era sparked sweeping behavioral changes, today’s eating patterns are more fragmented, reflecting the patchwork return to office life and a growing appetite for convenience. For food brands, that means rethinking the way they approach dayparts.

Among the biggest shifts: Nearly 40% of people now eat breakfast before 8 a.m., up five percentage points since 2020. Lunch is increasingly a quick bite, not a sit-down event. Dinner? More likely to be heat-and-eat.

Other forces are also shaping this evolution: rising prices, changing health priorities, and a push to trim discretionary spending. “Eating patterns are becoming more fluid throughout the day, including late at night,” says David Portalatin, Circana’s senior vice president and food industry advisor. “The opportunity is to meet the consumer in their moment of need when and where it arises, not just at traditional peak mealtimes.”

One clear beneficiary: restaurants. White-collar foodservice visits rose 8% year-over-year as more people returned to office routines. But CPG brands have a shot at growth, too, if they can tailor products to match the needs of morning commuters and the midday grazers.

That’s especially true for snacks, a $180 billion category now blurring the line between meals and nibbles. While major brands like Campbell’s, Frito-Lay and General Mills are reporting softer sales, Circana finds snacking behavior is growing. In fact, 37% of consumers now say they prefer quick bites over larger meals, up from 29% in 2010.

Health concerns are driving part of the shift. “With the public narrative increasingly focusing on minimally processed foods, simple ingredients, and weight loss, I would expect consumer behaviors to follow,” Portalatin adds. “Consumers are likely to look for permissible benefits and better-for-you options, or flexibility in portion sizes while still enjoying their favorite foods.”