After a long, exhausting day at work, sometimes the last thing you want to do is cook a big meal, not to mention deal with the cleanup afterward.

Instead, you might assemble an array of snacks on a plate — cheese, fruits, roasted nuts, popcorn and jerky — get settled on the couch, turn on the TV and call it a day.

Snacking has become the new meal for many Canadians, replacing sit-down lunches and dinners, as people increasingly seek out convenience on a budget. Food manufacturers, meanwhile, are keeping a close watch.

“Snackification” has become a prominent trend, said Jo-Ann McArthur, president of Nourish Food Marketing, referring to when consumers combine multiple snacks to make a meal.

“They are moving away from a sandwich to a bunch of different things altogether,” she said.

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