<PAGE>   1

     As Filed With the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 26, 2000
                                                      Registration No. 333-_____

                     U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                   ----------

                                    FORM S-8

                                   ----------

                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933


                                   LANCE, INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

        North Carolina                             56-0292920
(State or other jurisdiction of                 (I.R.S. Employer
 incorporation or organization)               Identification  No.)

  8600 South Boulevard
  Charlotte, North Carolina                                 28232
(Address of principal executive offices)                  (Zip Code)

                     LANCE, INC. 1997 INCENTIVE EQUITY PLAN
                            (Full title of the plan)

                                   ----------

                                B. CLYDE PRESLAR
                   VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
                                   LANCE, INC.
                              8600 SOUTH BOULEVARD
                         CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA 28232
                     (Name and address of agent for service)
                                  704/554-1421
                     (Telephone number, including area code,
                              of agent for service)

                  Please send copies of all communications to:

                              A. ZACHARY SMITH III
                   KENNEDY COVINGTON LOBDELL & HICKMAN, L.L.P.
                  BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATE CENTER, SUITE 4200
                             100 NORTH TRYON STREET
                      CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA 28202-4006

                                   ----------

                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                Title                    Amount         Proposed maximum    Proposed maximum       Amount of
         of securities to be             to be           offering price        aggregate         registration
             registered                registered         per share(1)      offering price(1)         fee
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

<S>                                 <C>                      <C>              <C>                   <C>
Common Stock, $.83 1/3 par value    1,500,000 shares         $10 1/8          $15,187,500          $4,010
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>

----------------------

(1)      Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee
         pursuant to Rule 457(c) and (h)(1) on the basis of $10 1/8 per share,
         the average of the high and low prices for the Common Stock on April
         20, 2000 as reported in The Nasdaq Stock Market.

<PAGE>   2

                                EXPLANATORY NOTE

         This Registration Statement relates to the amendment to the Lance, Inc.
1997 Incentive Equity Plan to increase by 1,500,000 the number of shares of $.83
1/3 par value Common Stock authorized to be issued thereunder.

                     STATEMENT OF INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

         This Registration Statement on Form S-8 incorporates by reference the
contents of (i) PART I and (ii) PART II, Items 4, 6 and 7 of the Registration
Statement on Form S-8 (No. 333-25539), filed by the Registrant on April 21, 1997
relating to the Lance, Inc. 1997 Incentive Equity Plan.

ITEM 3.  INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE.

         The following documents have been filed by Lance, Inc. (the "Company")
with the Securities and Exchange Commission (Commission file number 0-398) and
are incorporated herein by reference:

         (a) The Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
December 25, 1999.

         (b) The Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended
March 25, 2000.

         (c) The description of the Company's Common Stock contained in the
Company's Registration Statement filed pursuant to Section 12 of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended including any amendment or report filed for the
purpose of updating such description.

         All reports and other documents filed by the Company pursuant to
Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 after
the date hereof and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment which
indicates that all securities offered hereby have been sold or which deregisters
all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by
reference herein and to be part hereof from the date of filing of such reports
and documents.

ITEM 5.  INTERESTS OF NAMED EXPERTS AND COUNSEL.

         Certain legal matters in connection with the issuance of the Common
Stock being offered hereby are being passed upon for the Company by Kennedy
Covington Lobdell & Hickman, L.L.P., Bank of America Corporate Center, Suite
4200, 100 North Tryon Street, Charlotte, North Carolina 28202. At April 18,
2000, partners and associates of Kennedy Covington Lobdell & Hickman, L.L.P. and
their spouses and minor children owned beneficially an aggregate of 12,807
shares of the Common Stock of the Company.



                                       1
<PAGE>   3

ITEM 8.  EXHIBITS.

         4        Lance, Inc. 1997 Incentive Equity Plan as amended (filed
                  herewith).

         5        Opinion of Kennedy Covington Lobdell & Hickman, L.L.P. (filed
                  herewith).

         23.1     Consent of KPMG LLP (filed herewith).

         23.2     Consent of Kennedy Covington Lobdell & Hickman, L.L.P.
                  (contained in Exhibit 5).


ITEM 9.  UNDERTAKINGS.

         (a)  The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

                      (1) To file, during any period in which it offers or sells
                      securities, a post-effective amendment to this
                      registration statement:

                           (i) To include any prospectus required by Section
                           10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;

                           (ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events
                           arising after the effective date of the registration
                           statement (or the most recent post-effective
                           amendment thereof) which, individually or in the
                           aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the
                           information set forth in this registration statement.
                           Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or
                           decrease in volume of securities offered (if the
                           total dollar value of securities offered would not
                           exceed that which was registered) and any deviation
                           from the low or high end of the estimated maximum
                           offering range may be reflected in the form of
                           prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule
                           424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume
                           and price represent no more than 20 percent change in
                           the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the
                           "Calculation of Registration Fee" table in the
                           effective registration statement.

                           (iii) To include any material information with
                           respect to the plan of distribution not previously
                           disclosed in this registration statement or any
                           material change to such information in this
                           registration statement;

                      provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and
                      (a)(1)(ii) do not apply if the information required to be
                      included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs
                      is contained in periodic reports filed with or furnished
                      to the Commission by the Registrant under the Securities
                      Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in
                      the registration statement.

                      (2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability
                      under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective
                      amendment shall be deemed to be a new



                                       2
<PAGE>   4

                      registration statement relating to the securities
                      offered therein, and the offering of such securities
                      at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
                      fide offering thereof.

                      (3) To remove from registration by means of a
                      post-effective amendment any of the securities being
                      registered which remain unsold at the termination of the
                      offering.

         (b) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
         determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing
         of the Registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section
         15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable,
         each filing of an employee benefit plan's annual report pursuant to
         Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is
         incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed
         to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered
         therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be
         deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

         (c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
         Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and
         controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the provisions of the
         North Carolina Business Corporation Act, the Registrant's Restated
         Charter or Bylaws, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that
         in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such
         indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and
         is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for
         indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the
         Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or
         controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any
         action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or
         controlling person in connection with the securities being registered,
         the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter
         has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of
         appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by
         it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be
         governed by the final adjudication of such issue.


                                       3
<PAGE>   5

                                   SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Company
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the
requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this registration
statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Charlotte, State of North Carolina, on April 26 ,
2000.

                                  LANCE, INC.


                                  By  s/ B. Clyde Preslar
                                      ------------------------------------------
                                      B. Clyde Preslar
                                      Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
registration statement has been signed below by the following persons on behalf
of the Company and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>

Signature                                    Capacity                                    Date
---------                                    --------                                    ----
<S>                                          <C>                                       <C>

s/ Paul A. Stroup, III                       President, Chief Executive Officer        April 26, 2000
----------------------------------------     (Principal Executive Officer),
Paul A. Stroup, III                          Chairman of the Board and Director

s/ B. Clyde Preslar                          Vice President and Chief Financial        April 26, 2000
----------------------------------------     Officer (Principal Financial Officer)
B. Clyde Preslar

s/ Margaret E. Wicklund                      Corporate Controller                      April 26, 2000
----------------------------------------     (Principal Accounting Officer)
Margaret E. Wicklund

s/ Alan T. Dickson                           Director                                  April 26, 2000
----------------------------------------
Alan T. Dickson

s/ J. W. Disher                              Director                                  April 26, 2000
----------------------------------------
J. W. Disher

s/ James H. Hance, Jr.                       Director                                  April 26, 2000
----------------------------------------
James H. Hance, Jr.

/s/ William R. Holland                       Director                                  April 26, 2000
----------------------------------------
William R. Holland

                                             Director                                  April   , 2000
----------------------------------------
Weldon H. Johnson

s/ Scott C. Lea                              Director                                  April 26, 2000
----------------------------------------
Scott C. Lea

s/ Nancy Van Every McLaurin                  Director                                  April 26, 2000
----------------------------------------
Nancy Van Every McLaurin
</TABLE>



                                       4
<PAGE>   6

<TABLE>
<S>                                          <C>                                       <C>

s/ Wilbur J. Prezzano                        Director                                  April 26, 2000
----------------------------------------
Wilbur J. Prezzano

s/ Robert V. Sisk                            Director                                  April 26, 2000
----------------------------------------
Robert V. Sisk

s/ Isaiah Tidwell                            Director                                  April 26, 2000
----------------------------------------
Isaiah Tidwell

s/ S. Lance Van Every                        Director                                  April 26, 2000
----------------------------------------
S. Lance Van Every
</TABLE>



                                       5
<PAGE>   7

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT

                                   LANCE, INC.
                          Commission File Number 0-398

                                  EXHIBIT INDEX


Exhibit                      Description
-------                      -----------

4                 Lance, Inc. 1997 Incentive Equity Plan, as amended (filed
                  herewith).

5                 Opinion of Kennedy Covington Lobdell & Hickman, L.L.P. (filed
                  herewith).

23.1              Consent of KPMG LLP (filed herewith).

23.2              Consent of Kennedy Covington Lobdell & Hickman, L.L.P.
                  (contained in Exhibit 5).
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "description": "LANCE INC", "secsgml_size_bytes": 16673}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "LANCE INC", "cik": "0000057528", "assigned-sic": "2052", "irs-number": "560292920", "state-of-incorporation": "NC", "fiscal-year-end": "1226"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-35646", "film-number": "609466"}, "business-address": {"street1": "8600 SOUTH BLVD", "street2": "POST OFFICE BOX 32368", "city": "CHARLOTTE", "state": "NC", "zip": "28232", "phone": "7045541421"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "P O BOX 32368", "city": "CHARLOTTE", "state": "NC", "zip": "28232"}}
1

     As Filed With the Securities and Exchange Commission on April 26, 2000
                                                      Registration No. 333-_____

                     U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                   ----------

                                    FORM S-8

                                   ----------

                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      UNDER
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                                   LANCE, INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

        North Carolina                             56-0292920
(State or other jurisdiction of                 (I.R.S. Employer
 incorporation or organization)               Identification  No.)

  8600 South Boulevard
  Charlotte, North Carolina                                 28232
(Address of principal executive offices)                  (Zip Code)

                     LANCE, INC. 1997 INCENTIVE EQUITY PLAN
                            (Full title of the plan)

                                   ----------

                                B. CLYDE PRESLAR
                   VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
                                   LANCE, INC.
                              8600 SOUTH BOULEVARD
                         CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA 28232
                     (Name and address of agent for service)
                                  704/554-1421
                     (Telephone number, including area code,
                              of agent for service)

                  Please send copies of all communications to:

                              A. ZACHARY SMITH III
                   KENNEDY COVINGTON LOBDELL & HICKMAN, L.L.P.
                  BANK OF AMERICA CORPORATE CENTER, SUITE 4200
                             100 NORTH TRYON STREET
                      CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA 28202-4006

                                   ----------

                         CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                Title                    Amount         Proposed maximum    Proposed maximum       Amount of
         of securities to be             to be           offering price        aggregate         registration
             registered                registered         per share(1)      offering price(1)         fee
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Common Stock, $.83 1/3 par value    1,500,000 shares         $10 1/8          $15,187,500          $4,010
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
----------------------

(1)      Estimated solely for the purpose of calculating the registration fee
         pursuant to Rule 457(c) and (h)(1) on the basis of $10 1/8 per share,
         the average of the high and low prices for the Common Stock on April
         20, 2000 as reported in The Nasdaq Stock Market.
2

                                EXPLANATORY NOTE

         This Registration Statement relates to the amendment to the Lance, Inc.
1997 Incentive Equity Plan to increase by 1,500,000 the number of shares of $.83
1/3 par value Common Stock authorized to be issued thereunder.

                     STATEMENT OF INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

         This Registration Statement on Form S-8 incorporates by reference the
contents of (i) PART I and (ii) PART II, Items 4, 6 and 7 of the Registration
Statement on Form S-8 (No. 333-25539), filed by the Registrant on April 21, 1997
relating to the Lance, Inc. 1997 Incentive Equity Plan.

ITEM 3.  INCORPORATION OF DOCUMENTS BY REFERENCE.

         The following documents have been filed by Lance, Inc. (the "Company")
with the Securities and Exchange Commission (Commission file number 0-398) and
are incorporated herein by reference:

         (a) The Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended
December 25, 1999.

         (b) The Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended
March 25, 2000.

         (c) The description of the Company's Common Stock contained in the
Company's Registration Statement filed pursuant to Section 12 of the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as amended including any amendment or report filed for the
purpose of updating such description.

         All reports and other documents filed by the Company pursuant to
Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 after
the date hereof and prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment which
indicates that all securities offered hereby have been sold or which deregisters
all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by
reference herein and to be part hereof from the date of filing of such reports
and documents.

ITEM 5.  INTERESTS OF NAMED EXPERTS AND COUNSEL.

         Certain legal matters in connection with the issuance of the Common
Stock being offered hereby are being passed upon for the Company by Kennedy
Covington Lobdell & Hickman, L.L.P., Bank of America Corporate Center, Suite
4200, 100 North Tryon Street, Charlotte, North Carolina 28202. At April 18,
2000, partners and associates of Kennedy Covington Lobdell & Hickman, L.L.P. and
their spouses and minor children owned beneficially an aggregate of 12,807
shares of the Common Stock of the Company.

                                       1
3

ITEM 8.  EXHIBITS.

         4        Lance, Inc. 1997 Incentive Equity Plan as amended (filed
                  herewith).

         5        Opinion of Kennedy Covington Lobdell & Hickman, L.L.P. (filed
                  herewith).

         23.1     Consent of KPMG LLP (filed herewith).

         23.2     Consent of Kennedy Covington Lobdell & Hickman, L.L.P.
                  (contained in Exhibit 5).

ITEM 9.  UNDERTAKINGS.

         (a)  The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

                      (1) To file, during any period in which it offers or sells
                      securities, a post-effective amendment to this
                      registration statement:

                           (i) To include any prospectus required by Section
                           10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933;

                           (ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events
                           arising after the effective date of the registration
                           statement (or the most recent post-effective
                           amendment thereof) which, individually or in the
                           aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the
                           information set forth in this registration statement.
                           Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or
                           decrease in volume of securities offered (if the
                           total dollar value of securities offered would not
                           exceed that which was registered) and any deviation
                           from the low or high end of the estimated maximum
                           offering range may be reflected in the form of
                           prospectus filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule
                           424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume
                           and price represent no more than 20 percent change in
                           the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the
                           "Calculation of Registration Fee" table in the
                           effective registration statement.

                           (iii) To include any material information with
                           respect to the plan of distribution not previously
                           disclosed in this registration statement or any
                           material change to such information in this
                           registration statement;

                      provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and
                      (a)(1)(ii) do not apply if the information required to be
                      included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs
                      is contained in periodic reports filed with or furnished
                      to the Commission by the Registrant under the Securities
                      Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in
                      the registration statement.

                      (2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability
                      under the Securities Act of 1933, each such post-effective
                      amendment shall be deemed to be a new

                                       2
4

                      registration statement relating to the securities
                      offered therein, and the offering of such securities
                      at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
                      fide offering thereof.

                      (3) To remove from registration by means of a
                      post-effective amendment any of the securities being
                      registered which remain unsold at the termination of the
                      offering.

         (b) The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of
         determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing
         of the Registrant's annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section
         15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable,
         each filing of an employee benefit plan's annual report pursuant to
         Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934) that is
         incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed
         to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered
         therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be
         deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

         (c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the
         Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and
         controlling persons of the Registrant pursuant to the provisions of the
         North Carolina Business Corporation Act, the Registrant's Restated
         Charter or Bylaws, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that
         in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such
         indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and
         is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for
         indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the
         Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or
         controlling person of the Registrant in the successful defense of any
         action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or
         controlling person in connection with the securities being registered,
         the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter
         has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of
         appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by
         it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be
         governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

                                       3
5

                                   SIGNATURES

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, the Company
certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the
requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this registration
statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly
authorized, in the City of Charlotte, State of North Carolina, on April 26 ,
2000.

                                  LANCE, INC.

                                  By  s/ B. Clyde Preslar
                                      ------------------------------------------
                                      B. Clyde Preslar
                                      Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

         Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, this
registration statement has been signed below by the following persons on behalf
of the Company and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Signature                                    Capacity                                    Date
---------                                    --------                                    ----
s/ Paul A. Stroup, III                       President, Chief Executive Officer        April 26, 2000
----------------------------------------     (Principal Executive Officer),
Paul A. Stroup, III                          Chairman of the Board and Director

s/ B. Clyde Preslar                          Vice President and Chief Financial        April 26, 2000
----------------------------------------     Officer (Principal Financial Officer)
B. Clyde Preslar

s/ Margaret E. Wicklund                      Corporate Controller                      April 26, 2000
----------------------------------------     (Principal Accounting Officer)
Margaret E. Wicklund

s/ Alan T. Dickson                           Director                                  April 26, 2000
----------------------------------------
Alan T. Dickson

s/ J. W. Disher                              Director                                  April 26, 2000
----------------------------------------
J. W. Disher

s/ James H. Hance, Jr.                       Director                                  April 26, 2000
----------------------------------------
James H. Hance, Jr.

/s/ William R. Holland                       Director                                  April 26, 2000
----------------------------------------
William R. Holland

                                             Director                                  April   , 2000
----------------------------------------
Weldon H. Johnson

s/ Scott C. Lea                              Director                                  April 26, 2000
----------------------------------------
Scott C. Lea

s/ Nancy Van Every McLaurin                  Director                                  April 26, 2000
----------------------------------------
Nancy Van Every McLaurin
4
6
s/ Wilbur J. Prezzano                        Director                                  April 26, 2000
----------------------------------------
Wilbur J. Prezzano

s/ Robert V. Sisk                            Director                                  April 26, 2000
----------------------------------------
Robert V. Sisk

s/ Isaiah Tidwell                            Director                                  April 26, 2000
----------------------------------------
Isaiah Tidwell

s/ S. Lance Van Every                        Director                                  April 26, 2000
----------------------------------------
S. Lance Van Every
5
7

                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT

                                   LANCE, INC.
                          Commission File Number 0-398

                                  EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit                      Description
-------                      -----------

4                 Lance, Inc. 1997 Incentive Equity Plan, as amended (filed
                  herewith).

5                 Opinion of Kennedy Covington Lobdell & Hickman, L.L.P. (filed
                  herewith).

23.1              Consent of KPMG LLP (filed herewith).

23.2              Consent of Kennedy Covington Lobdell & Hickman, L.L.P.
                  (contained in Exhibit 5).