17 Feb 2016 --- Evolving attitudes and behaviors are creating shifts in the foods and beverages consumers choose. U.S. consumers are using less dishes and ingredients in meal preparation and the number of food and beverage occasions consumed are flat; as a result major food companies are scrambling to meet these changing needs, finds The NPD Group, a leading global information company that has been continually tracking all aspects of how U.S. consumers eat for over three decades.