Last updated on December 17th, 2018
Peapod, the country’s leading online grocer, found in its annual meal planning forecast that Americans have a continued and growing appreciation of a home-cooked meal. Survey results, compiled by Engine, showed 77 percent of Americans say they would rather eat a homemade meal than go out for dinner.
Resolving to spend more time in the kitchen in the New Year, 43 percent said they plan to cook more in 2019. That number is even greater for Millennials, as 59 percent plan to cook more.
Their reasons for cooking at home? While more than three in four respondents (77 percent) prioritize cost savings, eating healthier is also important for more than half (51 percent) of respondents. Family time is also a bonus, with 41 percent of those surveyed saying cooking at home offers more quality time at home with family, and Millennials showing the most interest (48 percent).
Weekdays are overwhelmingly the times most likely to make a home-cooked meal, with Wednesdays peaking as the most popular day to cook dinner at home (75 percent). Perhaps aiming to keep meal planning easy in the middle of the work week, Wednesday is also the most popular day for respondents to look to the convenience of meal kits (51 percent).
Health trends to look for in 2019
Consistent with the results from the 2017 and 2018 surveys, more than half of respondents (53 percent) expressed intentions of cooking more healthy meals in 2019. One in two (52 percent) is looking to use more fresh ingredients in the coming year, and more than half of respondents (51 percent) are looking to consume fewer processed foods in 2019.
Younger survey respondents were also more likely to express interest in trying new things for 2019, with Millennials leading in intentions to try items like jackfruit (27 percent vs. national average of 17 percent), tofu (25 percent vs. national average of 19 percent), Paleo products (21 percent vs. national average of 16 percent) and Keto products (28 percent vs. national average of 19 percent).
Another trend to try for 2019 is incorporating more meatless dinners, with nearly half of respondents (48 percent) sharing that they already eat no meat for dinner at least once a week. Eating meatless is more common among female respondents to the survey, with 52 percent forgoing meat weekly or more often, compared to 44 percent of men.
Convenience is key for consumers
Above all else, Americans are looking to keep meal preparations easy for 2019. Nearly half of all adults surveyed (47 percent) plan to take advantage of at least one of the following options in 2019: click-and-collect grocery shopping (27 percent), home grocery delivery (26 percent) and/or meal kit delivery (20 percent). Men show slightly more interest than women (23 percent vs 18 percent) in using a meal kit in 2019, and Millennials show the most interest with twice as many respondents (60 percent) expressing intent to purchase as compared to Boomers (31 percent).
Millennials are also three to four times more likely than Boomers to show interest in creating weekly meal plans (51 percent vs 16 percent), cooking with kids (39 percent vs. 9 percent) and using home grocery delivery (29 percent vs 10 percent).
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