Stop & Shop Survey: 40%-plus of Customers Time-starved

A Stop & Shop Supermarket Co. LLC survey of more than 500 consumers on their dinner habits has found that more than 40 percent of families depend on recipes that are fast and easy to prepare, because of time constraints.

One way that shoppers save time is by turning to “Go-to Meals,” which the Ahold USA chain defines as quick to prepare, requiring little skill, containing ingredients that are already on hand, and liked by all family members. Stop & Shop’s survey found that a whopping 88 percent of shoppers made “Go-To Meals” such as spaghetti, baked chicken and tacos a minimum of once or twice weekly. Further, 90 percent of shoppers said they also factor in the nutrition quality of meals, ranking it as “very important” or “extremely important” in deciding what to make for dinner.

According to survey, customers’ top five Go to Meals were spaghetti, baked/fried chicken, tacos, macaroni and cheese, and hamburgers/cheeseburgers.

“Stop & Shop believes that families can have it all when it comes to dinner time — quick, family-approved and nutritious meals,” said Julie Menounos, nutritionist for the Quincy, Mass.-based grocer, which employs about 63,000 associates and operates more than 400 stores throughout Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, New York, and New Jersey. “For these determined parents, Stop & Shop offers various tips that speed up their favorite recipes, getting them out of the kitchen more quickly with a healthy meal in hand.”

The chain’s website also includes such helpful resources as a recipe index and back-to-school meal solutions.