Study: U.S. consumers preparing meals at home with the help of foodservice
While U.S. consumers might not be dining out more, they do turn to foodservice for a shortcut in their in-home meal preparation.
U.S. consumers are increasingly eating and preparing their meals at home, reports The NPD Group, Chicago. Through its daily research of U.S. consumers’ eating behaviors, NPD shows that four out of five meals are prepared at home, and although the relationship of in-home prepared meals vs. those sourced away-from-home has been stable for a few years, Americans still prepare more meals at home than they did a decade ago. Last year, over 80% of meals were prepared and eaten in home.
Although foodservice spending increased —up 2% in the year ending May 2018 —foodservice visits were flat in the period compared to a year ago. Restaurant visits, whether on-site, drive-thru or delivery, are more indicative of foodservice growth than spending, reports NPD. Foodservice spending is up primarily because the cost of a restaurant meal is increasing faster than the cost of a home-prepared meal. Additionally, a restaurant meal has historically cost more than an in-home meal, typically as much as three times more.