{"id":575634,"date":"2026-07-08T19:45:12","date_gmt":"2026-07-08T19:45:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/575634\/"},"modified":"2026-07-08T19:45:12","modified_gmt":"2026-07-08T19:45:12","slug":"experts-say-gen-z-eats-nearly-twice-as-many-snacks-as-boomers-shifting-away-from-real-meals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/575634\/","title":{"rendered":"Experts say Gen Z eats nearly twice as many snacks as boomers, shifting away from real meals"},"content":{"rendered":"

Americans may love to\u00a0snack<\/a>, but younger adults appear to be taking the habit to another level, according to a new European survey that highlights broader shifts in eating habits.<\/p>\n

The\u00a0survey of 2,000 adults, commissioned by European Mushrooms and reported by news agency SWNS, found that Gen Z respondents consumed an average of 81 snacks each month, nearly twice as many as baby boomers, who averaged 45.<\/p>\n

Experts say the findings reflect a broader trend in how younger adults approach meals, with convenience increasingly replacing traditional breakfast, lunch, and dinner.<\/p>\n

Many of those snacks, however, are not the healthiest choices.<\/p>\n

Eight in 10 respondents said they eat foods such as chips, cookies, and chocolate every week.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Many also reported feeling\u00a0sluggish, bloated, or fatigued\u00a0afterward. Among those who noticed negative effects, 91% said they experienced an energy crash.<\/p>\n

For many, that slump arrives during the afternoon. Researchers found the average \u201ccrash time\u201d was 3:06 p.m., with tiredness, boredom, and low energy among the most common reasons people reached for another snack.<\/p>\n

Americans may love to\u00a0snack, but younger adults appear to be taking the habit to another level, according to a new survey that highlights broader shifts in eating habits. Drazen \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n

California-based food policy expert and author Darin Detwiler, who was not involved in the survey, told Fox News Digital that today\u2019s snacking habits reflect broader changes in how people consume\u00a0food.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe bigger story is that the definition of a \u2018meal\u2019 has changed,\u201d Detwiler said.<\/p>\n

Many younger adults no longer organize their day around traditional\u00a0breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Detwiler said. Instead, protein bars, smoothies, frozen meals, and packaged foods increasingly serve as meal replacements rather than simply snacks.<\/p>\n

Experts say the findings reflect a broader trend in how younger adults approach meals, with convenience increasingly replacing traditional breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Dusan Petkovic \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n

Convenience is one of the biggest drivers behind that shift, with younger consumers balancing busy schedules, tighter budgets, and the need for quick, ready-to-eat options, Detwiler said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe real question is not whether Gen Z snacks more,\u201d he said. \u201cThe better question is whether those snacks are adding\u00a0nutrition\u00a0or replacing nutrition.\u201d<\/p>\n

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That shift may also help explain why Gen Z is embracing snacks over traditional\u00a0meals.<\/p>\n

The survey found 41% of Gen Z respondents said they prefer snacks to full meals, compared with 31% of all respondents. More than one-third also said having snacks to look forward to throughout the day gives them something to anticipate.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe real question is not whether Gen Z snacks more,\u201d food policy expert and author Darin Detwilere said. \u201cThe better question is whether those snacks are adding\u00a0nutrition\u00a0or replacing nutrition.\u201d Cultura Creative \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n

Despite those habits, many respondents said they would actually\u00a0prefer healthier options.<\/p>\n

Carrie Ruxton, an England-based dietitian, told SWNS that making smarter snack choices can help people avoid the afternoon energy slump.<\/p>\n

\u201cTiming snacks properly can help prevent energy crashes and boost essential nutrients,\u201d Ruxton said.<\/p>\n

Eight in 10 respondents said they eat foods such as chips, cookies, and chocolate every week.\u00a0 REUTERS<\/p>\n

Blood sugar levels naturally fall a few hours after eating, which can contribute to fatigue, brain fog, and reduced concentration, she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cSnacking cleverly can help stabilize energy and prevent those dips,\u201d Ruxton said.<\/p>\n

The goal isn\u2019t to stop snacking altogether but to make more thoughtful choices that provide longer-lasting energy throughout the day, Ruxton said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Americans may love to\u00a0snack, but younger adults appear to be taking the habit to another level, according to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":575635,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[277],"tags":[5580,18,18997,300,135,19,17,3521,508,53274],"class_list":["post-575634","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nutrition","tag-baby-boomers","tag-eire","tag-food-drink","tag-gen-z","tag-health","tag-ie","tag-ireland","tag-lifestyle","tag-nutrition","tag-snacks"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@ie\/116886079259193906","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/575634","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=575634"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/575634\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/575635"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=575634"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=575634"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=575634"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}