Eight in 10 Americans feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day, with the average consumer having just 52 minutes a day to prepare and enjoy their meals, and one-third left with less than 30 minutes a day. Frito-Lay and Quaker’s latest Snack Index predicts that this time crunch trend will blur the line between “meals” and “snacks” in 2024. 

Up 35% from past years, Americans are increasingly incorporating their favorite snacks into meals. More than a half report using snacks as a key ingredient in no-prep dinners once a week, and a third do so multiple times a week. The most common reasons for this trend are craving a certain snack (51%) and being too busy to cook (44%).

While taste still tops the list — 74% aren’t willing to sacrifice taste in their snack choices — 55% of Americans say protein is the most important nutritional attribute when picking out snacks. Six in 10 consumers also look for an energy boost from their snacks, and this is even more common among Millennials (72%) and parents (72%). 

2024 is also shaping up to be the year of the Snack Savants, with Millennials (83%) and Gen Z (82%) most commonly identifying with the title. Many of these consumers say they have eccentric snack combos (65%), create snack combinations from what’s already in their pantry (55%), and look for inspiration on social media (32%).