HelloFresh survey reveals Canadians’ dinner habits

This year will be the year of “conscious consumption,” according to NielsenIQ’s Carman Allison. During his presentation at the GroceryConnex conference in Toronto, he highlighted 47 per cent of Canadians are cooking from scratch more often to save money. Additionally, more than half (51 per cent) plan to cut back on out-of-home dining and 42 per cent plan to spend less on food delivery and takeout.

Given Valentine’s Day is around the corner, one wonders how the affordability crisis is going to impact celebrations. HelloFresh conducted a survey to better understand Canadians’ dinner habits, especially who cooks and who orders takeout.

The survey found younger Canadians are more likely to opt for takeout and spend on dining out, with Gen Z (30 per cent) seeing restaurants as the only option for date night—more than any other generation. In Ontario, 21 per cent share this sentiment.

When it comes to household meals, less than half (46 per cent of respondents) of Canadians eat alone or make meals without input. Meanwhile, 54 per cent spend time discussing dinner plans, with a quarter needing at least 10 minutes to decide.

According to the survey results, dinner disagreements vary by age and relationship status—Gen Z (53 per cent) argues the most, while Boomers+ (20 per cent) argue the least. Married and previously engaged individuals are also less likely to argue than those who have never been married (44 per cent). And when indecision strikes, about one in four Canadians turn to takeout weekly, with 37 per cent doing so monthly.

I hope your Valentine’s Day dinner goes smoothly.