While other traditional dayparts have seen disruption due to US consumers spending more time at home during the public health crisis, dinner has held steady. NPD Group research suggests that what has changed about dinner involves consumers’ attitudes as they realign daily routines.
Here are four fast facts from NPD Group, which publishes an annual Eating Patterns in America report.
• 63% of dinner meals take less than 30 minutes to prepare. Even so, this occasion takes the most prep time of any main meal.
• 82% of dinners are in the home. That includes home-prepared dinners, restaurant take-out and delivery items.
• Even before the crisis, the percentage of restaurant dinner occasions eat at home continued to grow steadily during the past five years.
• People describe almost three-fourths of their eating occasions as “atypical” now, compared to before COVID-19.
Source: The NPD Group/National Eating Trends and CREST. YE Feb 2020 and NET COVID-19 Pantry & Food Strategy Tracker
