Is it a snack or a meal? The answer may impact what sort of packing consumers prefer.
“About 20% of consumers snack three times a day or more, and as you might expect, Gen Z leads this trend. About a third of Gen Z snack every day and regularly replace their meals with snacks in general,” said Varchasvi Singh, senior analyst at Mintel, during a LinkedIn livestream event hosted by TC Transcontinental Packaging.
Snacking doesn’t just mean center-store staples. Singh noted that consumers are snacking on chicken or baked goods and adding coffee and other drinks.
“We’re having customers come to us and say, ‘Hey, we have this need—our consumers are asking for food on-the-go.’ So we’ve created packaging that works for those needs,” said Jessica Lanter, senior director of business development, TC Transcontinental Packaging.
“We’re continuing to create formats that support busy lifestyles, from single-serve options to eat-in packaging,” she said, highlighting snack packaging that’s made to fit into cupholders and pouches that are designed to keep food warm while also being easy to carry with a handle. The company also developed dual-compartment bags that keep proteins and fruits or veggies separate, “which line up perfectly with modern snacking habits.”
Kurt Richars, director of market development and sustainability at Anchor Packaging, noted that retailers “may see demand shift from chicken sandwich combos to orders of chicken wings,” as consumers look for both smaller portions as well as options that are easy to both snack on now and save for later. “But the opportunity is to solve for something bigger—food quality and convenience.”
Innovation for snacking doesn’t just mean putting everything in smaller containers. Mark Medovitch, content manager at Inline Plastics, noted that flexibility in packaging is important for consumers and operators, citing a trend in customizable inserts. “These inserts allow a single container to support a wide range of applications, from snacks and meal components to fresh assortments.”
Multi-compartment designs can offer the same functionality as customizable inserts for operators. “Consumer demand for variety and portion separation in one package is continuing to grow,” he said, adding, “These formats support mix-and-match meals while maintaining food quality and presentation.”
Strength and rigidity also matter. Consumers’ No. 1 priority for foodservice packaging is leak and spill resistance, with 59% of consumers stating it’s their top concern, Natha Dempsey, president of the Foodservice Packaging Institute said, citing the Institute’s 2025 consumer perceptions survey.
Resealable and sturdy packaging allows people to snack in stages and safely put the package away without worrying about spills in a bag, car or workspace, Medovitch said. Richars agreed, noting that could mean offering a container that holds sauce separately for an item like chicken wings, which “not only preserves food quality longer, but also provides the convenience that a smaller container alone cannot.”
Similarly, both Inline Plastics and Anchor Packaging offer options that can hold dressings and toppings separately from salads to maintain freshness for consumers whenever they choose to eat their meal—whether that’s right away or hours down the line.
Medovitch shared that Inline Plastics is developing smaller, microwave-safe footprints designed for easy handling and reheating to also help retailers address customers looking to snack now and save some for later.
Finding the Right Approach for Meal Bundles
There’s been a rise in people picking up dinner to go from grocery and convenience stores, said Natha Dempsey of the Foodservice Packaging Institute, a notion echoed by Mark Medovitch at Inline Plastics.
“We’ve seen a rise in trays and platters, fueled by the trend of at-home entertaining where larger, shareable formats are in demand,” Medovitch said. He recommends that operators use a broader mix of container sizes and formats, rather than relying on a single universal package.
He suggested that retailers bundle food items in components, for example, using a larger, standardized container for the entrée and smaller containers for sides, sold together as a customizable bundle.
“The strategy allows consumers to choose their preferred combinations while allowing retailers to rely on a small, consistent family of packages,” Medovitch explained, adding that, “The result is flexibility for the customer without adding new labor steps, complicated assemblies or excess packaging SKUs.”
TC Transcontinental Packaging’s Jessica Lanter also noted that packaging can improve the online ordering experience for customers. “When someone orders ahead, they expect that pickup moment and the food to match the presentation they saw within the app. Prepacked curated bundles, such as a pick-three lunch option, makes it easy for the consumer to order and helps the retailer maintain their consistency and functionality,” she said.