Why loaded meals are the next big trend in eating

What happens when a bag of chips becomes the main course? Meet the “loaded” concept: a dish that turns a base of chips into a complete meal, layered with proteins, sauces, fresh toppings, and local flavors. Whether served at a stadium, from a street-food cart or in a BYO bag of Doritos at a food hall, the format is as flexible as it is flavorful and represents how people want to eat: conveniently, creatively, and on their own terms.

In the U.K., Doritos-led research found that 51% of Gen Z prefer more flexible, informal ways of eating, with the average Gen Z consumer enjoying a snackable meal around three times per week. These types of meals are quick, customizable, easy to enjoy between plans, and made for sharing. They also reflect the way social media is shaping mealtimes, with viral do-it-yourself food trends encouraged by creativity.

PepsiCo is helping shape that evolution by turning some of the world’s most loved food brands into loaded meals, which builds on familiar formats like The Walking Taco. Brands like Doritos, Tostitos, Lay’s, and TorTrix offer the essential foundation: bold flavor, crunch and the ability to pair seamlessly with a wide range of toppings and local cuisines, amplifying everything from shawarma to chili to street corn. With these brands as the base, PepsiCo is driving culinary innovation, offering more consumer choices, and expanding into new meal moments.

“With Doritos, Lay’s, and TorTrix, the fit comes from how consumers already use the chips — as a base for toppings, flavors, and customization,” said Pol Codina, general manager and senior vice president, PepsiCo Food Ventures. “Trends around loaded food experiences show people are increasingly turning those products into more substantial, build-your-own food moments, which makes them a natural canvas for chef-designed interpretations.”

In Canada, Doritos Sweet Chili Heat serves as the foundation for The Walking Shawarma, a collaboration with Osmow’s that combines signature shawarma proteins, fresh toppings, mozzarella cheese and signature sauces directly into the Doritos bag, delivering a customizable meal made for on the go.

In Mexico, Tosticentros celebrates the spontaneity of street food, inviting small business owners and consumers to build made-to-order “Tostitos preparados” with fresh ingredients, bold toppings, and endless flavor combinations.

In Guatemala, TorTrix has been used as a base or topping for foods like hot dogs, fruit, ceviche, and cup soups for a long time, with consumers adding their own touch through cheese, corn, pico de gallo, beans, lime, and chili.

In Türkiye, Doritos Loaded pairs Doritos with Türkiye’s favorite handheld street-food formats to create joyful, snackified meal occasions. The delicious options include three iconic Turkish street-food classics: Çiğ Köfte, Döner, and Kumpir.

Lay's also launched India's first-ever Lay’s Food Truck in Delhi, offering one-of-a-kind gourmet potato chip dishes curated by renowned chefs such as Chef Kunal Kapur, Vikas Khanna, Manish Mehrotra, Shivesh Bhatia and Saransh Goila. The truck even took on a longer-term residence in one of India’s largest grocery networks called Reliance.

A fleet of Lay’s food trucks traveled across Spain, France, and the Netherlands, to visit musical festivals, concerts, and sporting events last summer. The cart offered seasoning personalization and fresh local ingredients that paired perfectly with the taste of Lay’s. The truck also had a seasoning tombola, allowing customers to personalize their Lay’s creations by adding their favorite spices.

Doritos Loaded Month in the U.K., which ran this year from May to June, brought the loaded meal concept to life on a community scale. This annual activation invited snack-lovers to bring their own bag of Doritos — any size, any flavor — to participating restaurants, street-food vendors and food trucks, where it could be transformed into a fully loaded dish for £5 across a wide variety of cuisines. Running across London, Manchester, and Glasgow, Doritos became the crunchy base for everything from loaded potatoes and mac-and-cheese to arepas, gyros, pizza-inspired creations, and Mexican street-food mashups.

With every loaded meal, PepsiCo is proving that the future of meals can start with a chip.