Up until 2008 and the Recession carried-from-home breakfasts were on the rise, but as the Recession took hold and unemployment rose, carrying breakfast items from home began to decline, according The NPD Group, a leading market research company.  Now with the economy recovering and more employed NPD’s food and beverage market research is finding a slight uptick in carried breakfasts and predicts this behavior to grow in 2014.

Carrying breakfast from home is predominantly an adult behavior, especially among adults who are employed full-time. The peak start time for consuming a carried breakfast is 8:00 a.m., and these occasions are nearly three times more likely to occur on a weekday when adults are commuting to work, finds NPD. 

Breakfasts look different when adults carry their breakfast versus when they eat in the home.  Cold cereal, fruit juice, toast, and hot cereal are among the items consumed at in-home breakfasts whereas carried-from-home breakfasts include grab-and-go items like fruit, coffee, snack bars, and yogurt.  

 “With over 3 billion occasions in the U.S. annually, carrying breakfast from home is a sizeable behavior representing a significant opportunity for manufacturers and retailers,” says Darren Seifer, food and beverage industry analyst. “Adults are looking for nutritious, easily portable breakfast foods and beverages that they can have on hand.  Marketers need to take a closer look at these consumers and make sure their needs are being met with current offerings.”