More Than a Snack: Understanding Snacking as a Multidimensional Behavioral System through which Consumers Navigate and Experience Eating and Drinking in Everyday Life.

Eating and drinking habits are changing. The traditional pattern of breakfast, lunch, and dinner is increasingly giving way to a more flexible way of eating, in which people consume multiple eating and drinking moments throughout the day. This phenomenon, known as “snackification,” raises important questions about what snacking actually is and how it fits into modern lifestyles.

In this dissertation, Mariëlle de Vaal investigated the complex universe behind every day snacking behaviors of Dutch Millennials using a smartphone app, computational analyses, and in-depth interviews. The findings show that snacking is far more diverse than commonly assumed. Many snacks were nutritious and functional, while others fulfilled social, emotional, or pleasurable roles.

Rather than viewing snacking as inherently unhealthy, this research demonstrates that its impact depends on how it is embedded within people’s daily lives. The thesis proposes a new perspective: snacking is a multidimensional behavioral system through which people nourish themselves, pursue goals, connect with others, and navigate everyday life.