The NPD Group, a market research firm, recently reported that at-home meals are on the rise and that's leading a rise in recipe usage. As a family-oriented RD foodie, I couldn't be happier! In its recently released recipe usage report, NDP indicates the use of a recipe(s) once a week or more has increased from 37 percent of households in 2005 to 42 percent in 2011. As you might expect, dinner is the primary at-home dining occasion for recipes.
The rise in in-home meals may be driven in part by the lagging economy but NDP also stresses that the renwed focus on recipes shows that consumers are increasingly interested in trying "new and interesting meal ideas." I was also very excited to see that young adults are driving the increase in recipe usage and at home meals, a refreshing break from some doomsday chatter that Americans are losing their cooking skills. Millenials are bringing it on home!
Here are a few seasonal and fresh ideas for one-dish family meals - healthy, tasty and quick:
