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This recession can’t be blamed for all the changes in Americans’ eating habits
Contrary to popular belief, Americans did not cook more at home as a result of the economic downturn, shown by data in this year’s Report on Eating Patterns in America, NPD’s annual compilation of food and beverage market research. The study identifies 10 major changes in the way Americans are feeding themselves and sorts the changes by whether they are or are not attributable to the economy.
"There was a lot of speculation last year as to how our eating behaviors changed as a result of the economic crisis. The truth is that behavior changes slowly,” said Harry Balzer, NPD’s vice president and chief industry analyst and author of Eating Patterns in America. “NPD has been tracking eating patterns of Americans continuously for nearly 30 years, and we know our eating patterns in good and bad economies. The only real constant is that there is no recession in eating.”
According to Balzer, six of last year’s behavioral changes were shifts from longer-term trends, and they appear to be attributable to the economic downturn:
- Americans used their microwave ovens more last year and their stove tops less. Approximately 20 percent of all meals prepared in our homes from 1990 to 2007 involved the use of a microwave, until last year when usage rose 10 percent. Stove tops remain the most popular cooking appliance, but the percent of main meals prepared on a stove top dropped from 52 percent in 1985 to 33 percent in 2009.
- Men stopped cooking more meals last year and women prepared more of them, after a several-year trend of men preparing a greater percentage of the home-cooked meals. There was an up-tick in women preparing more suppers last year, but long term, the trend is more flat than up or down.
- Consumers are visiting restaurants only if there is a deal, otherwise they are going to restaurants less often.
- Healthy eating has been one of the big casualties of this economic downturn. Last year consumers cut back on eating “better for you” and organic foods.
- Supermarkets are attractive sources for food not because consumers want to cook more at home, but because prices are actually less than a year ago, while restaurant prices are higher than a year ago.
- Consumers stopped buying so many breakfasts at restaurants. After years of buying more breakfasts at restaurants, there was no increase last year.
Balzer reported that some eating pattern changes were in motion long before the recession began:
- Americans are eating more often at home, and have been since the beginning of this decade.
- Consumers continue to prepare “easy” meals, and there is no evidence of “cooking” more meals.
- Store and private label products have been increasing in consumption since 2002.
- Overall, Americans are going out less often to restaurants, but have been for at least 25 years.
“Many of the eating pattern shifts blamed on the economy began happening years or even decades ago. It was just more topical to blame them on the recession,” said Balzer, who has been providing insights to the food and beverage and foodservice industries for nearly 30 years. “What’s important to consider is that the changes caused by the current state of the economy are short-term, but those changes that have been occurring for a greater length of time will resonate for years to come.”
To find out how NPD information and insights can help you uncover consumer behavior trends in your industry, contact Charles Camaroto at 866-444-1411 (contactnpd@npd.com).