Grocery budgets are reshaping America's dinner plates

A third of Americans say they’re cooking at home much more than they did a year ago (31%), and squeezed budgets are the culprit.

A survey of 2,000 Americans found that higher grocery prices and increased home cooking are reshaping grocery shopping habits, with 26% of respondents now choosing ingredients that work across multiple meals.

Respondents reported that a grocery budget of $100 should cover almost two more meals than it actually does. Meat and poultry consume the largest share of the grocery budget as cited by 60% of respondents, with dairy and eggs (30%) and frozen meals or convenience food (22%) close behind.

Conducted by Talker Research on behalf of Idaho Potato Commission (https://idahopotato.com/) , the survey found that minimizing food waste (73%), shelf life (72%) and nutritional value for the money (71%) rank as the top factors Americans weigh when deciding what to buy.

More than half of respondents (60%) reported that they build their weekly meal plans around ingredient overlap, and nearly two-thirds (63%) said that a single ingredient’s ability to work across breakfast, lunch and dinner is an essential or strong factor in whether it earns a regular spot in their cart.

When asked which ingredients they consider to be a versatile staple, potatoes came out on top (40%).

Of ingredients respondents reported relying more on in the past year, eggs (38%), potatoes (37%), rice and pasta (35%) and beans (27%) top the list. Among those same respondents, 67% of regular potato buyers say the ingredient remains underrated.

“There’s a shift in how Americans grocery shop. People are not only trying to spend less, they are also trying to cook smarter,” said Jamey Higham, President & CEO of the Idaho Potato Commission. “Shoppers are looking for ingredients that can do more with less.”

Thirty-three percent of respondents said they’ve actively reconsidered a food they previously avoided. Red meat (32%), white rice (31%), potatoes (30%) and eggs (29%) top the list of foods Americans have welcomed back into their rotation.

Nearly half (48%) of respondents reported that they now view potatoes more positively than they did a year ago, driven equally by budget fit and versatility.

Forty percent of respondents said potatoes stretch their grocery dollar better than other options, and 40% also said they discovered the ingredient was more adaptable across meals than they’d thought.

Among those who have changed tune on a food previously avoided, 38% said it was driven by needing affordable options once they started cooking more at home, and 33% said they simply realized the ingredient was much more versatile than they’d given it credit for.

Eight in 10 who buy potatoes rate them as good or excellent for versatility across meal types (82%), being helpful to feed a household on a budget (82%) and for nutritional value (75%).

“Idaho potatoes have always delivered on versatility and nutrition, and it’s encouraging to see consumers rediscovering the value potatoes have brought to the table for generations,” Higham said. “Sometimes the foods we come back to are the ones we’ve trusted all along.”