Aussies opt for ready made meals

 

dinner, fork, knife, cutlery, food, mealWith an increasing number of Australians overcommitted and pressed for time short cuts in the kitchen are being welcomed with open arms.

Australians now eat more frozen or chilled ready made meals in an average seven days than five years ago.

According to Roy Morgan Research, in the year to March 2010, 8.1 per cent of Australians over the age of 14 said they’d eaten a frozen or chilled ready prepared meal in the last seven days. In the year to March 2014, this figure has risen to 9.4 per cent — an increase of around 373,000 people.

The increase is especially marked among Australians who agree with the statement, “I don’t have time to spend cooking”, and those who agree “I’m constantly watching my weight”.

Of those who don’t have time to cook, 15.7 per cent report eating at least one frozen or chilled meal in an average seven days (up from 13.1 per cent in the year to March 2010), while 10.5 per cent of those watching their weight did the same (up from 8.8 per cent).

Angela Smith, group account director, consumer products at Roy Morgan Research, says that frozen or chilled ready made meals represent a convenient short cut for busy Australians who don’t have time to cook their own meals every night.

“With supermarkets stocking an ever increasing range of pre-prepared options such as lasagne, risotto, gourmet soups, and curries, it’s easier than ever to bypass fast food and eat healthily even when pressed for time,” said Smith.

“Many of these frozen and chilled meals are nutritionally balanced and low in calories, so they also make life easier for people watching their weight.

“Using Roy Morgan Research’s segmentation tool, Helix Personas, allows us to identify who exactly is eating this kind of meal and why.

“For example, people in the Looking Good persona (303) are over 50 per cent more likely than the average Australian to eat frozen or ready chilled meals during an average week. These people are commonly living in recently developed metro suburbs, trying to balance the needs of family with a successful career.

”Often paying big mortgages on large homes, looking good category consumers need to keep the weekly grocery budget in check, but will gladly pay a bit extra if it saves time in the kitchen after a full day in the office,” she said.

Source: Roy Morgan Single Source (Australia), April 2009–March 2010 (n=52,105); April 2013–March 2014 (n=48,059). Base:Australians 14+ who ate a frozen/chilled meal
Source: Roy Morgan Single Source (Australia), April 2009–March 2010 (n=52,105); April 2013–March 2014 (n=48,059). Base:Australians 14+ who ate a frozen/chilled meal

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