Ready-Made Meals Resonating Among Shoppers: Report
When it comes to at-home meals, U.S. consumers are on the fast track. New research from polling firm YouGov confirms that shoppers are seeking quick, convenient foods and methods of preparation.
While people continue to cook more at home due in large part to budget reasons, they don’t want to spend a lot of time getting meals together, as the pandemic-era habit of making sourdough bread from scratch seem to be over. According to YouGov’s survey, "America's Appetite for Convenience Cooking,” 60% of Americans prefer to spend less than 30 minutes cooking meals in the evening and more than a third (34%) use air fryers weekly.
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Grocers with prepared foods and meal solutions will be heartened to hear that just about half (49%) of consumers buy ready-made meals monthly. Gen Z shoppers are more likely to purchase such offerings, at 52%, compared to 33% of Millennials, 28% of Gen X’ers and 28% of Baby Boomers.
In addition to prepared foods merchandised in the deli perimeter, shoppers seek out ready-made products from trusted brands, the report found. Kraft is the “most considered” brand for ready-made meals at 43%, followed by Campbell’s (41%) and Pillsbury (39%).
“Only 17% of Americans say they cook from scratch every day, and 27% do it once a month or less,” said Kenton Barello, VP at YouGov. “While cooking will surely remain popular for special occasions, it seems most American consumers want to limit the time they spend cooking to less than 30 minutes."
At the same time, more people are using different prep modes to get meals on the table faster. The research shows 34% of Americans cook with an air fryer at least once a week, while 79% use the stovetop at least weekly and 74% use the microwave on that same basis.
