US Meal Planning and Preparation Consumer Report 2023
Meals are a medley of senses and emotions. With so many moving parts – and room for error – brands and retailers can play a major role in this daily ritual.
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- Key issues covered in this Report
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Executive Summary
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Consumer Insights
- Consumer fast facts
- Meal planning timeline
- Graph 1: meal planning timeline, 2023
- Graph 2: meal planning timeline, by parental status and gender, 2023
- Graph 3: meal planning timeline, by financial status, 2023
- Habit frequency
- Graph 4: habit frequency, 2023
- Graph 5: habit frequency, by cooking skills, 2023
- Graph 6: habit frequency, by gender and age, 2023
- Sources of meal inspiration
- Graph 7: sources of meal inspiration, 2023
- Graph 8: sources of meal inspiration, by age and gender, 2023
- Graph 9: sources of meal inspiration, by financial comfort, 2023
- Home cooked meal priorities
- Graph 10: home cooked meal priorities, 2023
- Graph 11: home cooked meal priorities, by parental status and gender, 2023
- Graph 12: home cooked meal priorities, by financial status, 2023
- Attitudes toward meal planning and cooking
- Graph 13: attitudes toward meal planning and preparation, 2023
- Graph 14: attitudes toward meal planning and preparation, by gender and age, 2023
- Attitudes toward shortcuts
- Graph 15: attitudes toward shortcuts, 2023
- Graph 16: attitudes toward shortcuts, 2023
- Graph 17: attitudes toward shortcuts, by cooking affinity, 2023
- Graph 18: attitudes toward shortcuts, by parental status and gender, 2023
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Competitive Strategies
- Opportunities
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The Market
- Market context
- Market drivers
- Graph 19: cooking affinity, 2023
- Graph 20: cooking skills, 2023
- Graph 21: cooking/preparing of meals responsibility, 2023
- Graph 22: meal planning responsibility, 2023
- Graph 23: attitudes toward meal planning and preparation, 2023
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Appendix
Stay ahead of the curve and future-proof your business with Mintel’s US Meal Planning and Preparation Market Report 2023. Our full report is packed with consumer-led market intelligence, the latest meal preparation market research, trends and consumer behaviours affecting your business. Get a 360° view of the market including a five-year forecasted growth to help you align your business strategy with the needs of your audience.
Below, we’ve handpicked the key insights analysed in the full report and summarised the core topics.
Topics Analysed in this Report
- Meal planning and preparation methods and habits.
- Consumers’ sources of meal inspiration.
- Home-cooked meal priorities.
- Attitudes toward meal planning, cooking and cooking shortcuts.
Meal Planner Market Overview
Consumers incorporate various meal planning and preparation shortcuts according to their energy and financial needs. Some carry more guilt than others, yet consumers are generally interested in improving their cooking skill levels and meal outcomes while saving time and money.
- Meal planning statistics: 34% of US consumers plan their meals a day or two before making them.
Meal Planner Trends and Opportunities
Bandwidth is highly variable
Meal planning and preparation take effort, and consumers only have so much to give. Predictably, both parenthood and finances are factors that impact how much consumers are compelled – and are able – to give their time and energy into meal planning and preparation.
- Meal preparation trends: 61% of consumers say home-cooked meals that are easy to make are a priority.
The joy of good food
Taking the stress off consumers’ plates at any stage will have direct connections to the joy of a meal well-executed that brands can play a role in. Tapping into the human instinct to share and connect over meals can deepen positive associations and create longer-lasting bonds.
- Meal planning trends: 95% of consumers feel a sense of accomplishment when they make a good meal.
Purchase our US Meal Planning and Preparation Market Report to receive a five-year forecast, consumer behaviour analysis, and recommendations for market opportunities. Readers of this report may also be interested in our A Year of Innovation in the Prepared Meals and Meal Kits 2023, or our range of Food Market Research.
Brands Featured in the Full Report
Tasty, Walmart, Eat This, Not That, The Fresh Market.
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Expert Insights from a BPC Analyst
This report, written by Adriana Chychula, a leading research analyst, delivers in-depth commentary and analysis to highlight meal planning trends and add expert context to the numbers.
Meals are a medley of senses and emotions. With so many moving parts – and room for error – brands and retailers can play a major role in this daily ritual.
Adriana Chychula,
Food, Drink & Nutrition Analyst
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