BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS REVEALS 2016 DINNER REPORT

BHG Uncovers How the American Dinner Has Evolved

79% of Women Report Eating Dinner at Home 5+ Nights per Week

Whether you’re setting the table for a family of five or for one, making a meal at home is still high on the priority list. No matter what we’re cooking (or not cooking), we’re doing it smarter and faster, and making it a practice rather than a production. From data collected through Better Homes and Gardens’ Food Factor Study – which has polled more than 2,000 women, age-18 plus, for the past 25 years – BHG reveals insights into the food, shopping, and cooking habits of consumers in the United States. Here is what we found:

READERS ARE HEADING BACK TO THE KITCHEN IN RECORD NUMBERS

• 79% percent of women typically eat dinner at home five or more nights a week, with 80% saying that cooking is an important part of family traditions, and 74% saying it’s a critical part of how they entertain.

DINNER HAS BECOME A FORM OF EXPRESSION

• More than two-thirds of women in the United States say cooking is a creative outlet for them, and almost 75% regularly experiment and cook new dishes at home.

THE PANTRY HAS GONE GLOBAL

• 63% of women like to experiment with regional or ethnic food in their cooking, with 78% always looking to bring new flavors.
• Exotic ingredients like kimchi, tahini and cotija have become pantry staples for adventurous eaters.

READERS CRAVE COMFORT WITH A SIDE OF HEALTHY

• 42% of women say they want to eat more healthfully – which means ingredients that are fresh, and meals that contain extra veggies.
• Today, 59% of women declare they’re eating more healthfully than a few years ago, with 86% saying they try to control the healthfulness of the meals they prepare – making cooking at home more important than ever.

THERE’S A RENEWED INTEREST IN WHERE OUR FOOD COMES FROM

• Consumers are growing more food at home. An additional five million households report regularly digging in and planting compared to just six years ago.
• Gardening is the number 1 hobby of women in the United States, with nearly 1 in 5 women reporting that they grow some of their own food, and one-third of millennials reporting that they are growing edibles – whether that’s a small pot of basil on the patio or a few raised beds with a variety of produce.

With this data as a guide, BHG’s Dinner Report shares on-trend recipes, up-and-coming ingredient information, and highlights the dinner-time rituals of foodies including cookbook author Katie Workman, TV host Joanne Weir, and cookbook author Heather Christo.