For nearly 15 years, we’ve tracked the shifting rhythms of U.S. eating and drinking occasions with our proprietary Compass Database.
We’ve seen the ebb and flow of alone and social eating.
We’ve documented the rise of early morning snacking.
We’ve helped the industry navigate the disruptive influence of a global pandemic.
Along the way, we introduced critical distinctions that helped companies innovate and communicate with greater precision in a rapidly evolving food culture. And now, we’re introducing a new lens.
While overall consumption in 2025 remained largely unchanged from 2024, and while generational cohort and parenting status continue to be the most predictive forces shaping how Americans eat, our latest Eating Occasions Landscape report uncovers something new and actionable:
Decision and acquisition time frames are powerful drivers of eating occasions.
For the first time, we dive deeply into when and how consumers decide and source food and beverages. We’ve identified four distinct approaches:
- Proactive planning
- Just in time
- Planned spontaneity
- Spur-of-the-moment
Given the hustle of modern life, you might assume spur-of-the-moment dominates. It doesn’t.
With 45% of eating occasions having known time frames, planned spontaneity is actually the most common approach. Spur-of-the-moment follows at 23%.
This distinction matters.
Each decision/acquisition approach is correlated with characteristics of the occasion—where it happens, which needs are being met, what’s consumed and which sourcing channels win. For example, would you guess that Mass is a dominant retail channel for just-in-time occasions?
These distinctions create meaningful opportunity—across product development, packaging, portfolio strategy, merchandising and shopper marketing.
If you’re building an occasions-based strategy, it’s no longer enough to ask who or what.
You also need to understand when the decision was made.
In addition to helping you identify white space by decision time frame, Eating Occasions Landscape 2025 provides the data, frameworks and strategic implications to help you:
- Understand the big picture of how and why American eating and drinking patterns have changed over the past 7 years
- Spot unique opportunities with specific demographic groups and dayparts
- Activate on consumer needs specific to each of the eight dayparts: early morning snack, breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, dinner, after dinner snack and late-night meal/snack
If you’re ready to reframe your occasions strategy with a sharper, more actionable lens, we’re here to help you ask the right questions and find the best answers.
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Bundle and save on occasions insights
Looking for the most comprehensive understanding of eating occasions? Bundle the Eating Occasions Landscape 2025 report with Snacking 2026 (publishing June 2026) and Meals 2026 (publishing September 2026) syndicated research reports and save—$33,500 when purchased together (a $6,500 savings). For more information, contact Melissa Abbott melissa@hartman-group.com.