Food makers see the snack in everything

No assembly

For food makers, the bigger priority seems to be delivering maximum convenience so people can eat wherever and whenever the spirit moves them.

"I don't like things that have to be assembled," says Bridget Callahan, a part-time student and freelance writer in Wilmington, North Carolina who says she snacks six or seven times a day.

Callahan says she picks snacks like protein bars and oranges that she can carry around in her purse.

The various efforts to court snackers may not succeed over the long term, but Kellogg promises that the pouches for its cereal snacks are "ergonomically designed to allow fingers to easily access the food" and Hershey describes its snack mixes as perfect for "one-handed eating".

And while it may seem odd to snack on meat with bare hands, Hillshire says its research shows people don't mind.

"The meat is quality meat, so people would take it and dip it with their fingers," says Jeff Caswell, general manager of Hillshire Snacking.

Already, Caswell said the company is looking at turning other meats into portable finger foods.