It seems that breakfast has become a meal that today’s busy consumers want to shake up in a bottle and drink on their way out the door, as they seek convenience.
This trend toward convenience is reflected in Quaker’s new Oat Shake & Go product, which is designed to be prepared in its bottle with milk or water and delivers 15 grams of protein and three grams of fiber per serving – one of many products hitting the market that are intended for on-the-go consumption.
In the International Food Information Council’s 2026 Food & Health Survey, convenience eclipsed healthfulness as a grocery purchasing driver for the very first time since the organization began its survey in 2006, rising from 52% in 2025 to 61% this year.
Healthfulness, on the other hand, clocked in at 56%, but taste remained the leading consideration at 88%, with price earning the second spot at 78%.
Convenience Without Compromise
This shift doesn’t necessarily mean that consumers care less about nutrition. It’s more so that they want their health perks to be simultaneously delicious, easy to consume, and fairly priced.
Is that too much to ask of F&B brands that are already grappling with a slew of stressors impacting their bottom line? Time will tell.
“It’s a reflection of how much our lifestyles have changed. People are more active, work is more demanding, and the pace of life has accelerated,” said Chef David Moldovan, culinary director for UFC Ignite.
Moldovan feels that, for products to be successful in this environment, brands must figure out how to help consumers save time without feeling like they’re making a downgrade.
“Products with staying power will continue to focus on convenience, clear labeling, simple ingredients, and nutrition without sacrificing taste,” Moldovan told FI.
“Consumers want products that are easy to understand and fit seamlessly into their daily lives.”
KidFresh, a maker of convenient and clean-label frozen kids’ meals, noted a similar shift in its “Biggest Family Mealtime Shifts Shaping H2 of 2026” report, which contended that parents are no longer viewing nutrition and convenience as separate priorities.
Dinner routines are also evolving due to increasingly tight schedules – with smaller meals, snack-style eating, and grab-and-go occasions giving the nightly sit-down meal a run for its money.
Less Structure, More Flexibility
Betty Kaufman, strategy director for The Culinary Edge, says the biggest change may be fueled by the inconsistency of schedules rather than busyness alone.
“Convenience meal solutions are no longer strictly tied to this idea of ‘on the go’ but rather to helping consumers navigate increasingly unpredictable days,” she told FI.
And this dynamic is also changing how products are being positioned.
“Product solutions are increasingly designed around consumption moments rather than traditional meal periods,” Kaufman explained.
GLP-1 use, smaller appetites, and changing cooking habits are also playing a role.
Foods prioritizing portion size, sustainability, and protein or fiber intake can be especially appealing for this demographic, among others, when the time it would take to prepare a full meal will likely be disproportionate to the amount they’re expecting to eat.
Marty Bauer, ecommerce and retail expert at Omnisend, said consumers’ expectations have also been shaped by instant access.
“Good food requires time and work. Meanwhile, most of us are used to instant gratification. After all, your next DoorDash or Uber Eats meal is just a click away,” Bauer told FI.
However, price pressures are creating promising opportunities for food retail.
“On the one hand, people are cooking less. On the other hand, they’re also going out less. YouGov’s data shows that this is mainly due to high prices. Convenience-forward retail products are emerging as an alternative to both. They offer restaurant-level meals for much cheaper and don’t require that much effort from the consumer,” he noted.
Frozen foods are also benefitting from increased consumer demand for low-effort meals without paying restaurant prices.
Amy’s Kitchen’s latest club-store expansion is one example of this phenomenon, as the brand is rolling out multipacks of its Broccoli Cheddar Bake Bowl and Mexican Casserole Bowl nationally at BJ’s Wholesale Club after recent Costco launches.
Summer may be another driver, as the last thing consumers (including myself) want to do during a heatwave is turn on their ovens.
Food for Thought Leadership
In this episode of Food for Thought Leadership, FI VP of Content and Insights Chris Campbell sits down with FI CEO and Managing Partner Brian Choi to examine the growing disconnect between economic headlines and the reality facing consumers and food businesses. The discussion explores why declining gasoline prices and moderating CPI figures fail to capture persistent food inflation, weakening consumer sentiment, and the financial pressures driving more Americans to rely on debt to purchase groceries.
