Traditional eating patterns centering on three “square,” structured meals a day remain a defining paradigm for Americans as an ideal. But in practice, modern eating styles are characterized by frequent snacking — so much so that 37% of the time, a snack provides one of the three most substantial eatings of the day for American consumers. As more individualized and customized occasions, snacks are more commonly consumed alone than meals are.

Go in depth on snacking behaviors in this report: The Future of Snacking 2017