Supermarket Guru® Highlights Mini Meals, A Surge In Male Shoppers
And A New Appreciation For The Frozen Aisle To Be Top Of Mind For
Consumers In 2013
OMAHA, Neb., Dec. 4, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Snackable mini-meals
and frozen foods take center stage in supermarket aisles this year
while dads and Millennials get more comfortable and powerful in the
kitchen, says Supermarket Guru®, Phil Lempert. Lempert, a well-known food
industry expert who works closely with ConAgra Foods and retailers
across the U.S., holds the reputation as the premier forecaster of
consumer behavior within the world of food. This year, Lempert
forecasts the most dramatic food changes are not what consumers are
eating, rather who is doing the shopping and how
consumers are eating.
"Not only will there be an increase in male and Millennial
grocery shoppers, but there will be a dramatic shift in the sizes
of meals and an emphasis on frozen food," says Lempert. "Consumers
are looking for food to prepare quickly and conveniently while
offering fresh, high-quality ingredients and homemade taste."
For 2013, Lempert sees these 10 topics gaining attention from
consumers:
Snacking and Mini-Meals: In 2013, Lempert says we'll see
smaller bites and more frequent eating patterns that reduce overall
portion size and increase variety. Restaurants will add more small
plates and appetizers to the menu while grocery stores and
companies like ConAgra Foods will offer new snacks with appropriate
pre-portioned options to take the guesswork out of portion sizes.
According to the NPD Group, more than half of Americans snack two
to three times per day, while one in five eating occasions is a
snack. Look for food brands to release more snack-friendly products
like Healthy Choice® Greek Frozen Yogurt, Snack
Pack® Bakery Shop Pudding and Orville Redenbacher® Ready-to-Eat
Popcorn.
Men in the Supermarket and Kitchen: Men and dads are
getting more comfortable and powerful in the kitchen. Lempert
predicts supermarkets will increase their focus on men in 2013 as
they've become more active in shopping, meal planning and cooking.
According to a June 2012 survey from
Cone Communications, more dads than moms (52 percent compared to 46
percent) plan meals for the week ahead. Some supermarkets are even
experimenting with "man aisles" – locations in the store featuring
male-oriented foods and other products to make shopping and impulse
buying more targeted.
Evolution of Frozen Foods: According to NPD Group's
National Eating Trends, fewer meals are made from scratch (59
percent in 2011, down from 72 percent in 1984) as many Americans
are spending less time in the kitchen. There is a myth that
home-cooked is always more nutritious than frozen. However,
according to the FDA, there is virtually no nutritional difference
between fresh and frozen fruits and vegetables[1]. Lempert
reports that frozen fruits and vegetables are typically harvested
and flash frozen leaving them more nutrient dense than their fresh
fruit and vegetable counterparts, which can spend as much as half
of their peak freshness period in distribution. Many frozen
foods like Healthy Choice meals are portion-controlled and start
with fresh ingredients, homemade pastas and blended cheeses, and
have saturated fat and sodium levels that are much the same as
their home-cooked counterparts, if not lower. ConAgra Foods offers
other single-serve and multi-serve frozen entrées with Marie Callender's®,
Bertolli® and P.F.
Chang's Home Menu® meals.
The Impact of Millennials: According to Lempert, in 2013
supermarkets and food companies will cater more toward Millennial
consumers with affordable foods that are flavorful and ethnically
diverse. Millennials, those born between 1982 and 2001, will
represent 19 percent of the population by 2020, and will have
double the buying power for food-at-home. Millennials also
love food, and their passionate interest is led by their
desire to understand where foods are from, preparation and how food
is served. A recent Jefferies Alix Partners study found that
Millennials are also deal seekers and are much more focused on
finding the lowest price over brand loyalty.
Smart Home, Smart Phone: Smart phones and technology are
prevalent in the food industry, but the newest wave of technology
includes smart phones that network with kitchen appliances and
allow consumers to do everything from checking how much milk they
have left in the refrigerator, to turning the oven on from another
room. Lempert says that the next generation of mobile apps may
determine if fruits and vegetables are ripe, if refrigerated and
frozen foods have been kept at the correct temperature farm to
freezer and even test for foodborne bacteria—a personal "food lab"
in every shopper's pocket.
Apps like "Smarter Shopping with Phil Lempert" help consumers
make smart shopping decisions and save money at the store. Features
include a label translator, organic guide, smart substitutions tool
and a shopping list generator.
Breakfast Becomes the Most Important Meal of the Day:
According to the NPD Group, 90 percent of U.S. consumers say they
eat breakfast every day, but Lempert acknowledges the conversation
is shifting to what foods are best to eat for breakfast. He
suggests balanced breakfast options like egg white omelets, whole
grain bread and Greek yogurt with fresh fruit. Consider new Egg
Beaters® Three Cheese or Egg Beaters Florentine as
staples for achieving a satisfyingly nutritious breakfast. Made of
real egg whites, Egg Beaters has more protein and fewer calories
than most breakfast options made with shell eggs.
The Story Behind Our Food: 2013 will be a transitional
year as on-package claims proliferate and confuse. He anticipates
supermarkets taking on the role of gatekeeper and actually
demanding proof and transparency of claims before they will permit
products to be sold on their shelves. The role of retail dietitians
will increase as their influence and education becomes more
important to everyday buying decisions. Consumers are reading
labels and selecting their foods more holistically based on all the
"food factors" including taste, ingredients, source, nutritional
composition, as well as who is making their food along with an
understanding of impact on the environment.
The Economy- New Proteins: The U.S. Department of
Agriculture estimates the cost of both beef and chicken will
increase by at least 5 percent due to the 2012 drought and
declining supply. As a result, Lempert anticipates a major shift in
the nation's protein food supply away from meat-based proteins and
shifting to meatless proteins like eggs, nut butters, tofu, beans
and legumes. Lightlife®, for example, offers quality
vegetarian and vegan meals including veggie burgers, frozen
entrees, Smart Dogs® and more.
Sustainability- We Stop Wasting Food: The National
Resource Defense Council estimates 40 percent of food goes uneaten
each month in the United States.
Not surprisingly, the Eco Pulse Survey from the Shelton Group
reports 39 percent of Americans feel the most "green guilt" for
wasting food, almost double the number who feel guilty about not
recycling. Because so many Americans are wasting food, Lempert
recommends planning meals ahead of time, checking expiration dates
at the store, opting for portion-controlled freshly frozen foods
and creative innovative recipes to spice up leftover food. Consider
sites like ReadySetEat, which offers quick and easy recipe ideas,
along with several recipes for using leftovers.
The Boomer Reality of Diabetes, High Blood Pressure and Heart
Disease: Studies by the NPD Group show that nutrition and
healthy eating habits are top meal-planning priorities for Boomers.
A recent study by ConAgra Foods found that eating canned tomatoes
provides the greatest source of antioxidants to Americans' diets –
more than any other non-starchy vegetable. People who tend to eat
low-fat diets rich in fruits and vegetables tend to have a
decreased risk of cancer and heart disease. Boomers may want to
consider adding food like Hunt's® tomatoes to their cabinets to
increase their intake of antioxidants. Because Boomers will control
more than half the dollars spent on grocery foods by 2015, look for
more heart-healthy antioxidant-rich foods including oily fish such
as salmon, as well as green tea, sweet potatoes, dark leafy greens,
popcorn, berries and whole-grains to take over supermarket
shelves.
For more information, visit SupermarketGuru.com, and for simple
meal ideas made in 30 minutes or less, visit ReadySetEat.com.
ABOUT PHIL LEMPERT
Known as The Supermarket Guru®, Phil
Lempert is a distinguished author and speaker who alerts
customers and business leaders to impending corporate and consumer
trends and empowers them to make educated purchasing and marketing
decisions. He is one of America's leading consumer trend-watchers
and analysts, serving as a spokesperson for ConAgra Foods and
making regular appearances on NBC News' Today show and ABC's
The View. Lempert offers thorough food ratings, analyzes
trends in food marketing and retail, and features health advice,
unique recipes, nutrition analysis, allergy alerts and many other
resources for consumers. Learn more about Phil Lempert at SupermarketGuru.com.
ABOUT CONAGRA FOODS
ConAgra Foods, Inc., (NYSE: CAG), is one of North America's leading food companies.
With brands in 97 percent of American households, ConAgra Foods
provides some of America's long-time favorites. Consumers can find
Chef Boyardee, Egg Beaters, Hebrew National, Hunt's Tomato Sauces
and Ketchup, Marie Callender's,
Orville Redenbacher's, PAM,
Reddi-wip, Slim Jim Meat Sticks and Beef Jerky and many other
ConAgra Foods brands in grocery, convenience, mass merchandise and
club stores. ConAgra Foods operates ReadySetEat.com, an interactive
recipe website that provides consumers with Easy Dinner Recipes and
more. ConAgra Foods also has a strong business-to-business
presence, supplying frozen potato and sweet potato products as well
as other vegetable, spice and grain products to a variety of
well-known restaurants, foodservice operators and commercial
customers. For more information, please visit us at
ConAgraFoods.com.
[1] FDA Report, 1998
SOURCE ConAgra Foods, Inc.