Americans Exit the Kitchen
December 5 2002
Seventy-six percent of all meals in the US are prepared at home, according to NPDFoodworld, a division of The NPD Group, but Americans are spending less time in the kitchen preparing those meals than ever.
The 17th Annual Report on Eating Patterns in America (EPA) shows Americans are using a variety of ways to shorten the amount of time they spend putting food on their tables.
- Preparation times are decreasing. For the year ending February 2002, half of all meals were prepared in 30 minutes or less.
- Fewer dishes per meal. Nearly half of all main meals are one-dish affairs. At-home suppers that included at least one side dish fell from 66 percent in 1991 to 56 percent in 2002.
- No dessert. Americans are dropping desserts from their in-home meals. Only 14 percent of supper meals now include a dessert, down seven percentage points from 1990.
- Out of home alternatives gaining. The total number of annual main meals prepared and eaten at home has decreased from 702 in 1991 to 651 today, while meals purchased away from home increased from 184 to 209 during the same period.
- Fewer meals prepared from scratch. This year continues a decade-long trend in meals prepared from scratch. Thirty-five percent of main meals in 2002 were prepared completely from scratch. This is down from 41.3 percent a decade ago.
- Fewer appliances needed. In 1990, 38 percent of all suppers cooked in-home required the use of at least two different appliances. Twelve years later, only 23 percent of these meals were prepared with more than one appliance.
'Americans are trying to make cooking easier and faster. Cutting back on the number of dishes we serve, using fewer appliances and utilizing prepared foods are some of the ways we accomplish this,' said Harry Balzer, vice president, The NPD Group's Food Consulting Service, and author of the 17th Annual Report on Eating Patterns in America. 'The EPA gives foodservice manufacturers, suppliers and retailers the tools for better decision-making by providing a complete picture of what Americans eat, as well as where they eat and how they prepare their food.'
Over 8000 Americans are surveyed by NPD on their daily consumption of food and beverages over a two-week period. That information is supplemented with data collected in 35 NPD databases from consumers, manufacturers, retailers and restaurant operators.
For further information, visit
www.npd.com
All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas unless otherwise stated.
