Easy-to-eat breakfasts gain popularity

CHICAGO – More people are making room for what many call the most important meal of the day.

The consumption of breakfasts and morning snacks is expected to grow by 5 percent through 2019, according to research and consulting firm NPD Group.

Morning snacks, in particular, are having a moment. Consumption of a morning snack has jumped 17 percent over the past six years.

And if you scarfed down an Egg McMuffin this morning, you are not alone.

Americans' craving for quick, cheap and portable breakfasts drove morning visits to quick service restaurants like McDonald's up 5 percent in the year ending in February. And that's on top of a 3 percent increase the previous year. McDonald's launched all-day breakfast last fall and the move is widely credited for being the driver of a much-needed business turnaround.

In general, breakfast foods showing the most growth are the ones that are the easiest to eat in the car or on a train and are relatively healthy, like breakfast sandwiches, cereal bars and yogurt.

Even as Americans eat more on the go, though, most morning meals — about 70 percent — are still made at home, NPD said.