Convenience foods, especially precut produce items, and prepared takeout foods are making new strides in increasing their share of the food shopper's dollar, according to a new survey provided to SN.
The survey found 37.3% of respondents buy prepared products at least once a week, up from 31.6% in 1995 and 27.3% in 1992.
This data was part of the 1997-98 survey of the Better Homes and Gardens magazine's Consumer Panel.
Three-fourths of the consumers surveyed said they buy both convenience produce and convenience meat items, though convenience meat purchases are down slightly from the previous survey, possibly reflecting recent publicity over meat-safety issues, according to the survey's authors.
Better Homes and Gardens sent a questionnaire on shopping and food issues to 500 members of its Consumer Panel, made up of the magazine's subscribers, in September, receiving 426 responses. The median age of the respondents was 47.5, and median income was $58,879, well above the U.S. family household median income of $36,234. Other characteristics of the panel, all women, were 78% married, 38% with children under 18, 92% owning their own home, and 39% with some college education.
This is the second of three articles analyzing the results of that survey. The first dealt with attitudes about food shopping, and the final article, which will run April 27, will cover nutritional labeling, safe-handling practices and uses of low-calorie and low-fat products.
Asked about their use of convenience foods compared with two years ago, 22.1% of the panelists said they were using more convenience foods today and 60.1% were using about the same, a combined total of 82.2%. That's a marked increase from the 1992 survey, when 70.2% of the consumers said they were using the same or more convenience foods.
Not surprisingly, the most frequent answer when shoppers were asked why they are using more convenience foods was the need to spend time on things other than cooking, 63.8% of the responses, up from 53.1% in 1995. Almost half, 44.7%, also felt today's convenience foods have improved in quality and "are as good as I can make them."
In the produce aisle, 76.1% of the consumers are buying convenience products such as salad mixes and precut vegetables. That percentage is even higher among shoppers in the 50 to 64 age range, with 82.6% reporting purchases of convenience produce.
The most popular convenience produce items are also showing strong sales gains. Topping the list of produce items purchased in the past month were salad mixes, purchased by 58.5% of the panelists, up from 38.1% in 1995, and precut fresh vegetables such as broccoli, carrot sticks and baby carrots, purchased by 50%, up from 41.5% in 1995.
Asked if they ever purchase convenience meats, including ready-to-cook chicken, meat loaf or kabobs and precooked products such as roast chicken and precooked fish or seafood, 75.1% said yes, down from 85.4% in 1995.
Chicken is the most popular convenience meat, with 71.8% having purchased skinless, boneless, ready-to-cook chicken breasts or thighs in the past month, and 39.9% having purchased cut-up, ready-to-cook chicken.
Concerns about cost and freshness are the major factors that stop customers from buying both produce and meat convenience products. "Too expensive" was the reason 64.3% don't buy produce items and 55.9% don't buy convenience meats. The other two top reasons in both departments were "don't know how long the food has been sitting around" and "not fresh enough."
Asked how often they purchase prepared foods to take home and eat from supermarket delis, takeout food stores or restaurants, 77.4% of the panelists reported such purchases at least once a month. That's up from 75.5% in 1995 and 55.5% in 1992. Only 5.2% never buy takeout food.
Panelists were asked if they brought home any prepared foods to eat yesterday. A total of 13.4% said they did. On this year's panel, 23.6% said they were bringing home prepared foods more often than two years ago, and 45.9% said their use of prepared foods was about the same. Almost a third, 30%, said they were bringing home takeout food less frequently than two years ago.
Use of prepared foods was higher among younger consumers; in the 25 to 49 age group, 25% were buying takeout more often than two years ago, and in the 35 to 54 group, 28.5% said more. That compares with 20.4% for ages 50 to 64 and 21.3% for over 65.
The magazine's subscribers continue to eat a significant number of dinners as a family. Almost a third, 32.4%, said they eat dinner as a family six times a week, and 29.3% average five family dinners a week.
A fourth, 25.4%, are eating dinner together more often than two years ago, while the number of family dinners a week is about the same for 63.4%. Of those who said they were eating at home more these days, 62% cited "cutting our spending on food" as the reason.
To occasionally make family meals special, consumers most often fix a special menu, 63.5%, or a special dessert, 58.1%, or use placemats or tablecloths, 48.7%. Candles make meals special for 38.5% of the consumers, and 27.6% serve wine with special meals.
Better Homes and Gardens also asked its Consumer Panel members how they feel about cooking and what changes they were making in their cooking habits.
Perhaps not surprisingly for subscribers to a home-oriented magazine, 85.9% said they enjoy cooking, and 91.5% are very or somewhat confident about their cooking abilities. Among the 50 to 64 age bracket, a whopping 97.5% are very or somewhat confident about their cooking.
Do husbands help with the cooking? Not as often in this survey as in the 1995 report. Just over half of this year's panelists, 50.9%, reported their husbands also cook, compared with 58.7% in 1995. Younger men pitch in more -- 61.4% of consumers in the 25 to 49 age group and 59.2% in the 35 to 54 age group said husbands cook.
The kids aren't helping as much, either. This year, 33.8% said their daughters sometimes cook and 29.1% said sons cook, compared with 38.8% for daughters and 32.5% for sons in the 1995 survey.
Despite the comparisons with the 1995 survey, 23.6% of this year's panelists said their husbands were more involved in cooking than they were two years ago. About a third, 32.9%, said their children were more involved.
Some 22.5% of the panelists said they are doing more cooking at home now than they did two years ago, while 53.3% are doing about the same amount and 24.2% are doing less.
Cost was the major reason the panelists who are cooking at home more have made that choice; 76% said it was more economical to eat at home and 75% replied "we're eating out less." Almost half, 49%, said they were eating at home more because they're being more careful about what they eat.
The panel members were given a list of precautions to assure food safety and asked if they were using those precautions more, the same, or less than two years ago. About two-thirds were checking expiration dates (66%) and washing foods thoroughly more often (64.1%). Other precautions receiving high percentages of response for more frequent use were checking for unusual colors or discoloration, 58.7%; smelling foods for freshness, 49.8%; slightly overcooking meat and poultry to kill unsafe bacteria, 46.7%; and purchasing locally grown produce, 41.5%. More than a third, 36.2%, indicated they are buying less organically grown food than they were two years ago as a way to assure food safety.
Ethnic cooking is becoming more popular. Almost a fourth of the consumers, 23.2%, said they are cooking more regional or ethnic foods now than two years ago, with a slightly higher response for younger consumers. Half, 50.7%, are preparing about the same number of ethnic dishes, while 15% don't do any ethnic cooking.
Italian is by far the most popular ethnic cuisine, with 79.7% of the panelists making Italian dishes for their families. Other frequently prepared cuisines are Mexican, 72.4%; Chinese, 61.3%; Tex-Mex, 42.9%; Southern, 39.8%; and Cajun-Creole, 34.5%.
Asked which foods they are serving more and less of than two years ago, consumers indicated they are serving more poultry, 59.4%; salads, 55.6%; pasta, 54.2%; and vegetables, 54%. They are cutting back on desserts, with 51.2% serving fewer cakes; 50.9%, pies or pastries; 39.9%, cookies; 37.6%, ice cream; and 39.2%, other desserts.
Beef also takes a hit, with 44.1% of the panelists reporting they serve less beef than two years ago. Appetizers have been cut by 36.9% and snacks by 35.4% of the panelists.
Most of the consumers, 58.7%, prepare dinner at home an average of five to seven days a week; 31.7% fix dinner at home three or four days a week.
They don't spend a lot of time preparing dinner on weekdays, however. Forty percent estimate they spend 30 minutes preparing dinner on weekdays, 30% spend 45 minutes and 9.4% spend 20 minutes or less. They're willing to spend a bit more time preparing weekend dinners -- 29.1% spend 45 minutes; 26.1%, 30 minutes; and 20.9%, one hour.
More than a third, 34.5%, said they supplement what they cook for an everyday dinner with prepared foods from a restaurant, supermarket, deli or takeout store once a month or less. Almost half more frequently add takeout components to their dinners -- 10.3% several nights a week, 20.4% about once a week, and 17.8% several times a month.
A large number, 84.7%, of the magazine's consumer panelists said they like to "cook from scratch," and 42% do so several times a week. But "cooking from scratch" has different meanings to different people.
Asked to define the term, 28.6% said using only fresh ingredients; 20.7%, fresh and frozen ingredients; 46%, fresh, frozen or canned ingredients; and 4% counted using a mix if they add "my own special touch."
Similarly, definitions of "homemade" varied. On cake, for example, 88.7% considered cake made from flour, sugar and eggs homemade; while 23.2% counted cake from a mix as homemade. Some consumers, 4.2%, would consider purchased pound cake they layer with fruit and whipped cream homemade.
Can't Be Too Careful
Listed below are some precautions some people take to make sure the foods they buy are safe to eat. Please indicate whether you are taking more, the same, or fewer of these precautions than you were two years ago.
More Same Fewer No Answer
Check expiration dates on food
for freshness 66% 33.8% 0.0% 0.2%
Check foods for unusual colors,
discoloration 58.7% 40.6% 0.2% 0.5%
Peel skin off produce, if possible 23% 66% 9.4% 1.6%
Purchase locally grown fruits and
vegetables 41.5% 50% 6.8% 1.6%
Purchase organically grown foods 15.5% 42.5% 36.2% 5.9%
Slightly overcook meat or poultry to kill
any unsafe bacteria 46.7% 47.2% 4.2% 1.9%
Smell foods for freshness 49.8% 47.2% 1.4% 1.6%
Wash foods thoroughly before
preparing them 64.1% 35% 0.5% 0.5%
