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Time Starved Consumers Turn to Microwaveable Foods
With longer workdays, growing commutes, and more working parents, Americans have never been busier. With these increased time demands, consumers are preparing home-cooked meals less often. In fact, only 60% of meals today are prepared and eaten in the home, according to research conducted by Packaged Facts. More and more consumers are being driven to convenience products as an alternative. The convenience category currently ranks #1 among busy Americans in the “on-the-go consumables” market, above taste, healthfulness and cost.
With this trend of convenience, some cooking shows now focus on preparing quick meals. For instance, Food Network’s “Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee” is a show that teaches consumers how to create delicious meals where 70% is made from store bought convenience foods and the remaining 30% is homemade. The result is spending less time in the kitchen and more time with the family.
In addition, microwaveable products have come a long way, and new technologies exist that allow a product to be heated in the microwave without sacrificing quality. Many products can be satisfactorily microwaved today that didn’t hold up as well in the past. Recent sensory testing completed by the Beef Innovations Group showed that various beef products not only perform well when heated in the microwave, but also exceed consumers’ expectations for taste and texture.
From fully-cooked 1/3-pound hamburgers to whole muscle steaks, self-venting packages allow the beef to cook to a juicy, tender doneness. Advances in microwave packaging technology provide consumers the convenience of quick meal preparation without ever having to touch the beef or dirty other dishes. Furthermore, consumer purchase intent for these microwaveable products was very positive and they have application for use at retail stores and foodservice operators.
Americans show no sign of slowing down their busy lifestyles in the near future. Fortunately, there are more convenient food options than ever before. For more information about how BIG can help you with convenient beef products, contact Steve Wald, Director, New Product Development, at swald@beef.org.
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