Spending on snacks up 70% in Germany

While nearly one in two Germans snack regularly, a third of respondents now frequently replace main meals with snacks. The proportion of people who frequently eat muesli bars, fruit and vegetables, sandwiches or yoghurt rose from 41.8% to 45% between 2020 and 2023.

The preference for snacks is particularly marked among young people. Less than 40% of 12-26 year olds stick to the traditional three main meals a day, compared with 45% of millennials aged 27-41. Older generations continue to stick to their usual eating rhythm: two-thirds of baby boomers still think in terms of a three-way meal of breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Lifestyle and work factors are behind this change. According to Robert Kecskes, an expert at YouGov, the fast-paced lifestyle and increasingly sedentary working environment means that light, small snacks are more popular as they help to maintain concentration.

„For the younger generations, snacks are a quick and practical solution in the chaos of the day”, he said.

Lebensmittelpraxis