Americans Admit They Skip 3 Meals a Week, But Are Plagued by “Unintentional Snacking” – Unhealthy Foods They Can’t Resist

The average American skips about three meals a week, according to new research.

A survey of 2,000 North American adults revealed that only 22% say they never skip meals, compared to 29% who admit to doing so every day of the week.

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The results also found that Americans are not only missing meals, but also forgetting what they are actually consuming.

The average respondent can only remember half (57%) of everything they ate in the last three days.

Still, Americans have an average of three snacks a day. They range from chips (57%), fruit (56%) and cheese (46%).

Others end up eating cookies (43%), cookies (41%) and ice cream (36%).

Only 25% of respondents say they are “very aware” of the daily nutritional value of the proteins that their snacks offer.

This may be because more than a third of Americans (36%) tend to consume their snacks impulsively rather than intentionally planning them (18%).

Conducted by Talker Research on behalf of Breakstone’sThe research also explored the concept of “unintentional snacking,” or eating for reasons not necessarily due to hunger, and found that it regularly affects 30% of Americans.

Only six percent say they are not victims of involuntary snacking.

As a result, respondents developed bad snacking habits (26%) or lacked energy (21%).

But Americans appear to be taking matters into their own hands, as 27% are working to make more informed snack choices this year.

According to the results, intentional snacking means choosing snacks that are healthy (43%) or that give them an energy boost (30%).

For others, it’s like setting a limit on how many snacks they eat per day or planning their snacks in advance (both 29%).

In fact, nearly half (49%) of respondents would be more likely to eat intentional snacks if they knew there were health benefits — including hard-boiled eggs (43%), Greek yogurt (39%), and cottage cheese (31%).

“With so many Americans regularly skipping meals, it’s important to make the most of your daily snacks,” said Dhriti Batra, Cultivated Brand Director at Lactalis Heritage Dairy.

Examples of Intentional Snacking

Some examples of snacks you can intentionally include in your diet for health benefits include:

• Mixed nuts
• Greek yogurt
• Smoothies
• Boiled eggs
• Cottage cheese
• Fruit

“Try incorporating protein-rich ingredients into snacks, like smoothies or salads.

“There’s no need to just stick to the same old snacks; Trying something new can expand your palate and even reveal new favorites.”

The survey also explored how Americans are making the most of their breaks and revealed that snacking is an integral part of life’s in-between moments.

FILLING YOUR FREE TIME

The results found that Americans have an average of four hours of free time a day and fill that time by watching TV (69%), browsing social media (48%) and, of course, snacking (40%).

And ideally, this interval would last about an hour and 15 minutes (74.7 minutes).

Even so, 37% of respondents admit that they often still feel like they are “functioning in E” after breaks.

More than three-quarters of respondents (78%) agree that they enjoy even a few moments of downtime.

“Survey results revealed that almost two in five people do not feel refueled after breaks.

“Between work, school, household chores and everything else, it’s no secret that Americans need some downtime,” Batra said.

“While it is important to relax and unwind, it is equally important to nourish your body during your breaks so that the rest of the day runs smoothly.”

Research methodology:

This randomized, double-opt-in survey of 2,000 Americans in the general population was commissioned by Breakstone’s between June 10-13, 2024.

It was conducted by the market research company Speaker searchwhose team members are members of the Market Research Society (MRS) and the European Society for Opinion Research and Marketing (ESOMAR).

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