September 9/Food Weekly Focus -- The NPD Group forecasts Americans will be eating a whole lot of snacks. In its new report "A Look into The Future of Eating," NPD finds that in-home snacking -- morning, noon, and night, but especially morning -- will outpace population growth over the next decade.

According to the report, by 2018, the total number of in-home snack occasions are projected to increase 19% over 2008 annual eatings. Morning snacking is forecasted to increase by 23%, and in-home afternoon snacking is expected to increase by 20% over eating occasions in 2008. Evening snacking is forecasted to increase by 15% over the next 10 years compared to 2008.

"The strong projected growth in snacking is both a reflection of the growth in new types of snack foods as well as an evolution of how consumers eat," says Ann Hanson, author of "A Look into The Future of Eating" and director of product development at NPD. "Many consumers are eating 'on the go,' and there are more and more foods available to meet this need."

From the September 14, 2009, Prepared Foods E-dition