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Whenever possible, Americans want dinner at home

Peapod survey shows consumers strive to cook their own meals

Russell Redman

December 12, 2018

3 Min Read
Supermarket News logo in a gray background | Supermarket News

U.S. consumers prefer to eat dinner at home and are seeking more ways to help them do so, a survey by online grocer Peapod finds.

Of more than 1,000 adults polled, 77% said they would rather eat a homemade meal than go out for dinner, and 43% aim to cook more in 2019, according to Peapod’s annual meal planning forecast, compiled by Engine.

The top reason consumers said they’d rather make dinner at home is cost savings, cited by 77% of respondents. Other reasons for preferring to cook at home included the desire to eat healthier (51%) and spend more quality time with family (41%), according to Peapod, a subsidiary of supermarket retailer Ahold Delhaize USA.

Millennials exhibited a greater desire to eat dinner at home, Peapod noted. The survey revealed that 59% of Millennials plan to cook more often, while 48% said that making the evening meal at home affords more time with family.

Consumers see easy meal preparation as one key to having more homemade meals. Forty-seven percent of those surveyed said they plan to take advantage of online grocery pickup or delivery and/or meal kit delivery in 2019. Specifically, 27% said they’d use click-and-collect grocery shopping, 26% aim to use grocery home delivery (26%) and 20% plan to use meal kit delivery.

Related:Peapod ramps up meal kit offering

Peapod’s study found that men are a bit more interested than women (23% versus 18%) in using a meal kit next year. In addition, nearly twice as many Millennials (60%) as Baby Boomers (31%) expressed intent to buy a meal kit in 2019.

Millennials, too, were three to four times more likely than Boomers to have interest in creating weekly meal plans (51% versus 16%), cooking with children (39% versus 9%) and using online grocery delivery (29% versus 10%).

Weekdays are primetime for home-cooked meals, and Wednesday is the most popular day to cook dinner at home, cited by 75% of consumers polled. Also, Wednesday was the most popular day for respondents to use meal kits (51%).

Fifty-three percent of Americans aim to prepare more healthy meals in 2019, according to Peapod. To that end, 52% plan to use more fresh ingredients, and 51% intend to cut down on the amount of processed foods they eat.

When it comes to trying new items, Millennials appear more open to something different. For instance, these consumers expressed more willingness to try items such as jackfruit (27% versus the national average of 17%), tofu (25% versus 19%), Paleo foods (21% versus 16%) and Keto products (28% versus 19%).

Going meatless also remains a dinner trend heading into next year. Almost half of the Peapod survey respondents (48%) said they already eat no meat for dinner at least once a week. Women were more likely to eat meatless meals, with 52% eschewing meat weekly or more often versus 44% of men.

In recent months, Chicago-based Peapod began expanding its lineup of meal solutions. The company in September unveiled plans to roll out 40 new meal kits through the spring of 2019. The launch includes a broader distribution of the kits as well as new recipes. Peapod said it partnered with an array of consumer packaged goods companies and brands — including Campbell’s, Uncle Ben’s, Conagra and PepsiCo — to create the new meal kits.

About the Author

Russell Redman

Senior Editor
Supermarket News

Russell Redman has served as senior editor at Supermarket News since April 2018, his second tour with the publication. In his current role, he handles daily news coverage for the SN website and contributes news and features for the print magazine, as well as participates in special projects, podcasts and webinars and attends industry events. Russ joined SN from Racher Press Inc.’s Chain Drug Review and Mass Market Retailers magazines, where he served as desk/online editor for more than nine years, covering the food/drug/mass retail sector. 

Russell Redman’s more than 30 years of experience in journalism span a range of editorial manager, editor, reporter/writer and digital roles at a variety of publications and websites covering a breadth of industries, including retailing, pharmacy/health care, IT, digital home, financial technology, financial services, real estate/commercial property, pro audio/video and film. He started his career in 1989 as a local news reporter and editor, covering community news and politics in Long Island, N.Y. His background also includes an earlier stint at Supermarket News as center store editor and then financial editor in the mid-1990s. Russ holds a B.A. in journalism (minor in political science) from Hofstra University, where he also earned a certificate in digital/social media marketing in November 2016.

Russell Redman’s experience:

Supermarket News - Informa
Senior Editor 
April 2018 - present

Chain Drug Review/Mass Market Retailers - Racher Press
Desk/Online Editor 
Sept. 2008 - March 2018

CRN magazine - CMP Media
Managing Editor
May 2000 - June 2007

Bank Systems & Technology - Miller Freeman
Executive Editor/Managing Editor
Dec. 1996 - May 2000

Supermarket News - Fairchild Publications
Financial Editor/Associate Editor
April 1995 - Dec. 1996 

Shopping Centers Today Magazine - ICSC 
Desk Editor/Assistant Editor
Dec. 1992 - April 1995

Testa Communications
Assistant Editor/Contributing Editor (Music & Sound Retailer, Post, Producer, Sound & Communications and DJ Times magazines)
Jan. 1991 - Dec. 1992 

American Banker/Bond Buyer
Copy Editor
Oct. 1990 - Jan. 1991 

This Week newspaper - Chanry Communications
Reporter/Editor
May 1989 - July 1990

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