Three meals a day is no longer a given? The "0.5 meal" symbolizing our times.

This series explores food trends. This installment focuses on the "0.5-meal." Food Lab's survey revealed that only 7% of people eat three proper meals a day (*1). Furthermore, 20% of respondents stated they "sometimes substitute a meal with a single food item, like just a boiled egg or just a banana" (*2). Among women in their 20s specifically, this figure rises to 40%.

You might recognize this pattern. The traditional "full meal" consists of rice, miso soup, and side dishes. But there's also the "0.5 meal" – something that doesn't quite meet the full meal standard but has somehow become a regular part of daily life as a single eating occasion.

The Food Lab views this as "the next trend in eating" and aims to clarify its reality based on the findings from this Food Lab survey and interviews.

※1 7th Food Lab Consumer Survey, 1,300 men and women aged 10-70 nationwide, conducted September 2022. Refers to the 95 respondents who met all three criteria: "I eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner almost every day," "The amount I eat per meal is generally fixed," and "I usually eat multiple food items per meal."

※2 7th Food Lab Consumer Survey, 1,300 men and women aged 10-70 nationwide, conducted September 2022. Refers to the 270 respondents who answered "applies" or "somewhat applies" to "I sometimes substitute a single food item, such as only boiled eggs or only bananas, for a meal."
 

 

Only 7% eat three proper meals a day

Many people may have the image that "meals mean three meals a day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner" or that "breakfast means bread, an egg dish, and fruit yogurt." However, only 7% of people actually eat three full meals a day.

In interviews conducted by Shokurabo, we heard comments like the following:
    
"I used to eat three meals a day, but since working from home, I've gained freedom over when and what I eat. Now I eat about five meals a day, including small snacks like bananas or boiled eggs that aren't really 'meals'."

"When I miss lunch and keep working, I suddenly think, 'I should probably eat something nutritious soon,' and end up having a soy bar."

Both examples show their eating patterns have shifted away from three set meals a day toward consuming simple, appropriate portions at flexible times. Eating habits are diversifying, with younger generations increasingly breaking conventions—like having ice cream for breakfast.

The image below shows the daily life and eating habits of a woman in her twenties. There is no breakfast or lunch here. Her first meal is at 4 PM, sometimes just cake. Then, at 10 PM, she has dinner consisting of a staple food, side dish, and soup. Counting roughly, we could say this person has 0.5 meals at 4 PM and 1 meal at 10 PM, totaling about 1.5 meals.

Such cases might simply be concluded as "poor eating habits." However, viewed differently, they seem to reflect the reality of busy modern life. Regardless of whether this is good or bad, if this is the reality, it suggests that existing food and beverage products and services may surprisingly fail to cover many scenarios.

Based on this reality, Food Lab coined the term "0.5 meal" to describe "small snacks or drinks consumed without dedicating sufficient time or effort to eating." We believe 0.5 meals hold clues to the unique consumer desires of our era and future business opportunities, and have been researching them for over three years.

Some might question why not "0.3 meal" or "0.8 meal"? It differs from balanced set meals where multiple foods are consumed until about 80% full. Based on consumer interviews, the perceived portion size and satisfaction level felt closest to half a meal, hence the term "0.5 meal."

Behind the "0.5-meal" concept lies the image of modern people striving hard.

We've come to understand that this 0.5-meal concept emerges from a freer eating lifestyle, unbound by previous norms. So why is this "freer eating lifestyle, unbound by previous norms" increasing? At Food Lab, we believe it's because things prioritized over meals, both in terms of time and psychology, are increasing within daily life.

Recalling childhood, routines like school and club activities seemed to naturally incorporate time for three proper meals. However, as we age, responsibilities like work, housework, childcare, and caregiving increase, often forcing us to struggle even if meals become somewhat neglected. Some may be striving toward dreams or ideals. In such cases, the mindset that "my desired lifestyle comes first, and if I can eat whatever fits in the remaining gaps of my schedule, that's good enough" emerges. This likely contributes to the flexible eating habits mentioned earlier.

Furthermore, analysis suggests this trend is accelerating due to factors like increased time spent at home since the pandemic, blurring the lines between breakfast, lunch, and dinner, more ways to get food like delivery and takeout, and fewer opportunities to go out, meaning people simply aren't getting hungry as often.

0.Unraveling the background of the 0.5-meal trend reveals the busy lifestyles of today and the image of modern people striving daily. In other words, the 0.5-meal phenomenon is not a fleeting fad but a phenomenon rooted in the current social structure of Japan. In a sense, it is an inevitable occurrence.

A Treasure Trove of Business Opportunities! The 0.5-Meal Market

So far, we've looked at it from the consumer's perspective. Now, let's shift to the corporate viewpoint. The 0.5-meal market appears to present a significant business opportunity for food and beverage manufacturers.

Traditional products and services could be broadly categorized into breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snacks. However, as mentioned earlier, consumers are now eating and drinking with a freer mindset, transcending these boundaries. Observing the 0.5-meal phenomenon, it seems they are less concerned with the perfection of each individual meal and more focused on living the life they desire. This perspective shifts the focus for product and service development.

In other words, instead of focusing on short-term trends like "this flavor is popular in the snack category" during the initial development stage, adopting a perspective that re-examines the entire lifestyle—recognizing that "customers' lifestyles and eating habits themselves are fundamentally changing"—can generate unprecedented insights. This approach ultimately enables the conception of products and services that truly align with customers and integrate into their real daily lives. Products and services developed with this deep understanding of customers' changing lives will earn their affection. By being actively chosen over time, they contribute to the LTV of the company and brand.

For example, imagine a Western confectionery maker developing a new pudding for retail in the snack category. Typically, they might conduct consumer surveys to understand what people want in a pudding: soft or firm? What fruits should be on top? What naming and packaging work best? That's how they'd likely build the product concept.

However, what if we positioned pudding as a nutritious 0.5-meal option, considering trends like flexible eating times and food choices, and the reality of consumers leading busy lives where proper meals are difficult? Perhaps this could spark unprecedented ideas: focusing on eggs and protein content for nutrition during spare moments, selecting fruits rich in dietary fiber, or adjusting portion size and texture for satisfaction.

New products and services that fit this 0.5-meal concept are already emerging, and our Food Lab research confirms customer demand exists. Considering the accelerating diversification of lifestyles and increasingly busy lives, the day when a dedicated 0.5-meal market becomes established and grows larger may not be far off.

Moving forward, Food Lab will continue to explore emerging trends in eating habits through a series of articles based on our research findings.