Category
Lifestyle
Gentle Diagnostics
Trend cluster
Category
Reduced-Step
Cooking
CPG carb-based dishes and sides are being adapted with fewer cooking steps.
5.0
Trend score
What's Happening
What is the Reduced-Step Cooking trend?
Reduced-Step Cooking: Emerging brands in F&B are offering pasta and rice sides that don't require any cooking. These options help save people time by reducing cooking steps--while still allowing for fresh homemade meals.
Insight
The consumer insight behind the Reduced-Step Cooking trend
The push for healthy pre-made meals came as consumers had a need for quick and affordable food--but needed nutritious options to meet their health goals. Now, home-cooked meals are popular because of everything from rising costs to social media trends--not to mention the ongoing impact of the pandemic. While more recent cultural shifts have changed many consumers' approach to eating--the desire for convenience remains and consumers still prioritize time-saving options in the kitchen.
Trend themes
Themes within the Reduced-Step Cooking trend
Three behaviours holding the trend together01
Reduced-Step Cooking
Emerging brands in F&B are offering pasta and rice sides that don't require any cooking.
02
Freshness-Preserving Packaging
Crocchi uses innovative performance packaging to extend its shelf life and has applications beyond preserving the freshness of frozen croissant-shaped pasta.
03
Authentic International Cuisine
Tilda Tasty Sides aim to provide authentic international cuisine flavor with a focus on convenience.
Industry implications
What the Reduced-Step Cooking trend means for industry
Where the trend changes the playbookFor
Food & Beverage
Reduced-step cooking trends are emerging in the food and beverage industry with options like pasta and rice sides that don't require any cooking.
For
Packaging
The freshness-preserving packaging used by Crocchi has applications that go beyond preserving frozen pasta, supporting other refrigerated and prepared meals.
For
Culinary Products
Authentic international cuisine is a trend in the culinary products industry, as demonstrated by Tilda Tasty Sides offering a range of heat-and-eat products with four different flavor varieties.
Workshop question
How could your brand address its customers' need for convenience, without sacrificing quality?
Trend signals
Trend signals for Reduced-Step Cooking
Trend score 5.0 out of 10, from popularity 66%, activity 57%, freshness 26%.
Popularity66%
Activity57%
Freshness26%
Audience
50%Men
50%Women
- Gen Alpha
- Gen Z
- Millennial
- Gen X
- Boomer
Market
North America
Europe
Asia-Pacific
Evidence
Examples of the Reduced-Step Cooking trend
6 featured examples from Feb 17, 2023 to Jul 26, 2024CategoryLifestyle
Caffeinated Noodle Pouches
Boost Noodle Helps Gamers Level Up Their Energy with One Hand
The gaming industry increasingly intersects with health and nutrition, emphasizing the demand for performance-enhancing consumables.
CategoryEco
Award-Winning Instant Soufflé Cups
Makegusto's Instant Soufflé Cups are Convenient and Efficient
The ready-to-eat meal industry benefits greatly from high-quality, quick-preparation options that combine convenience with gourmet tastes.
CategoryLifestyle
Croissant-Shaped Pastas
Crocchi Boasts a Novel Form & Freshness-Preserving Packaging
This industry has the opportunity to leverage innovative packaging solutions, like high-barrier, modified atmosphere containers, to extend the shelf-life of a variety of refrigera…
CategoryLifestyle
Versatile No-Boil Noodles
Trader Joe's New No Boil Noodles are Perfect for Quick Dinners
The introduction of No Boil Noodles by Trader Joe's highlights the ongoing trends of convenient meal options in the grocery retail industry.
CategoryLifestyle
Instant Korean Pastas
Tangle Bulgogi Alfredo Tangluccine is Globally Inspired & Quick-Cooking
The instant food industry can explore the development of globally-inspired flavors and unique cooking methods, as exemplified by Tangle's Korean-inspired instant pasta.
CategoryLifestyle
International Cuisine Side Dishes
Tilda Tasty Sides Come in Four Flavor Varieties
As the demand for convenient heat-and-eat products increases, there is an opportunity for innovative food packaging solutions that enhance product quality and convenience.
