More than three-quarters (77%) of the 1,003 adults (501 mean and 502 women, aged 18 and older) surveyed said they would rather eat a homemade meal than go out for dinner, with 59% of millennial-aged respondents prioritizing cooling more meals at home next year.
The top reason for cooking at home rather than dining is the cost savings of preparing your own meal, 77% of respondents said they cook at home to save money. Over half (51%) of those surveyed said they eat at home to be healthier.
Family time was the third benefit seen by respondents with 41% of those surveyed saying cooking at home offers more quality time at home with family, and millennials showing the most interest (48%).
Wednesday ranked as the most popular day to cook dinner at home by 75% of respondents. It was also the most popular day for meal kit usage for 51% of respondents.
More fresh and meatless home cooked meals in 2019
More than half (53%) of those surveyed said they would be cooking more meals in 2019 defined by incorporating more fresh ingredients and fewer processed foods.
Peapod’s survey found more meatless dinners will be on the table next year with nearly half of respondents (48%) sharing that they already eat no meat for dinner at least once a week. Eating meatless is more common among female respondents to the survey, with 52% forgoing meat weekly or more often, compared to 44% of men.
Younger survey respondents express interest in trying new items in 2019 including jackfruit (27% vs. national average of 17%), tofu (25% vs. national average of 19%), Paleo products (21% vs. national average of 16%) and keto products (28% vs. national average of 19%).
The convenience factor
Health aspirations and more family time aside, consumers are looking for convenient meal preparation options in 2019.
According to Peapod, 47% of the adults surveyed plan to take advantage of one of the following options next year: click-and-collect grocery shopping (27%), home grocery delivery (26%) and/or meal kit delivery (20%).
Men showed slightly more interest than women (23% vs. 18%) in using a meal kit in 2019, and millennials show the most interest in meal kits (60%) expressing nearly twice as much purchase intent compared to boomers (31%).
Millennials also showed more interest in creating weekly meal plans compared to older age groups (51% vs. 16%), cooking with kids (39% vs. 9%), and using home grocery delivery (29% vs. 10%).
