Pre-packaged, processed meals remain a popular choice for many consumers because they reduce the energy, time and cooking skills needed to prepare food, according to researchers from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, and Duke University, Durham, N.C.
Results from the study, “Reasons Parents Buy Prepackaged Processed Meals: It Is More Complicated Than ‘I Dont Have Time,’” show that the majority (57%) of parents surveyed identified time savings as a reason for purchasing frozen dinners. Nearly half (49%) of parents reported buying ready meals because their families really liked the meals, one-third chose processed foods because children could help prepare them and more than one-quarter (27%) preferred the cost savings of frozen dinners.