They say necessity is the mother of invention. But these days, on the packaging front, it’s convenience that gives birth to most innovation. We most recently explored this trend in-depth in A Marriage of Convenience, our cover story in the February 2005 issue (archives at www.brandpackaging.com).

Time-pressed Americans are seeking foods they can quickly consume at their desks, in their cars or at home as they rush from one daily obligation to another. And when it comes to making decisions on convenience, healthfulness, price and taste—convenience wins out over all other factors, according to On-the-Go Eating in the U.S.: Consumer, Foodservice, Retailing and Marketing Trends, a new report from Packaged Facts.

Although 65 percent of consumers say they try to eat healthier, 33 percent say they don’t have time to prepare or eat healthy meals. Growing commutes and work days and time demands on two-working-parent and single-parent households drove 49 million Americans to fast-food solutions and 41 million to store-made, pre-cooked meals last fall alone.

Further beefing up the on-the-go food market are altering consumer attitudes and eating habits.  Influenced by busy lifestyles, media reports about the health and weight-loss advantages of eating frequent small meals, and smaller portioned on-the-go options from the foodservice industry, one-third of Americans regularly skip meals, often grazing on snack foods as a substitute.