Cooking at home has decreased slightly since its pandemic peak, however, 64% of Americans say they are continuing to do so to save money or control their budget, according to a new survey.
The Eating at Home survey, sponsored by the National Frozen & Refrigerated Foods Association, also revealed that U.S. consumers are looking for inspiration to create healthier-for-them meals, according to a news release.
Researchers surveyed more than 12,000 U.S. consumers for the report, and 20 consumers welcomed researchers into their homes and to their local grocery stores to gain more insight, the release said. Additionally, a large-scale analysis of news and social media content helped researchers identify and understand consumer perspectives surrounding frozen and refrigerated foods over the past 18 months up to mid-August of 2023, according to the release.
“This is the largest research undertaking from the NFRA on behalf of the frozen and refrigerated food industry, with the results yielding directional insights for food manufacturers on consumer trends,” NFRA President and CEO Jeff Rumachik said in the release.
Key findings include:
- Taste or flavor (66%), quality of the groceries (65%) and healthiness (49%) determine what consumers are putting in their carts.
- Nearly 3 in 5 consumers (59%) say they began cooking at home using pre-cut frozen fruits and vegetables to save on prep time.
- Almost half (45%) of consumers rely on air fryers, and 43% use slow cookers to cook and prepare food.
- More than half (54%) of consumers are learning about food and cooking through TikTok and YouTube.
- A third of consumers (33%) prefer to shop for groceries online because automated recommended purchases and “programmatic reminders” help ensure they never forget the ingredients they need for recipes.
