As year's end approaches, meal delivery service Home Chef reflects on another year of delivering meals to households nationwide. Home Chef customers took their kitchen clout to new levels this past year – from expanding palates and diving deep into flavor fads to an increased interest in better-for-you, convenient choices. To sum up a year of growth and change, Home Chef's culinary and business leadership reflected on the year's customer insights and industry expertise to predict six pillars that will define how people will eat at home in 2025.

"The meal delivery industry isn't only impacted by what consumers are eating, but how they're planning and cooking for mealtime," said Erik Jensen, Home Chef CEO. "We expect 2025 to be a year we'll see demand continue to grow for ultra-convenient cooking routines and ingredient variation, with customers placing value at the center of meal decisions."

2025 home cooking forecast:

• Low effort, high reward: Home cooks are firmly on the other side of pandemic-induced feasts of complex recipes that take hours, and instead are redefining what "convenient" means at mealtime. Not only do consumers crave fast meals, but ones that also cut down on other mealtime demands like recipe planning, grocery shopping and dishes.
• Value in view: As rising food costs impact all meal sources, customers are continuing to prioritize value when it comes to their mealtime routines. Meal delivery companies will need to provide competitive and innovative pricing structures to help customers' dollars go further. The meal delivery industry is well positioned to address this by helping customers reduce household food waste and providing affordable, memorable experiences around the table through exclusive partnerships.
• Conscious comfort: Though the demand for better-for-you meal options naturally invites ingredient and flavor innovation, many consumers are looking for familiar flavors. Home cooks want to feel that serotonin boost that comes from recognizing a comforting meal – and even better if they don't have to sacrifice their wellness goals to eat it.
• Protein packed, fiber filled: With more demand for wellness-minded meals, customers will seek sources of protein and fiber that are not only packed with those essential nutrients, but taste good too. With the rise of GLP-1 medications, health-conscious consumers will look for foods tied to the body's natural production of GLP-1, which includes high-fiber, high-protein meals. This increase in demand is supported by recent insights from 84.51°, the market research division of The Kroger Co., which found that high protein is the number one nutritional benefit for which consumers look while grocery shopping.
• Plenty of fish in the sea: Many home cooks are exploring pescetarian options that were not previously as accessible or familiar to them, such as mahi mahi, petite scallops, and yellowtail.
• Spice it up: Customers are going beyond the jalapeno to add heat and depth to their everyday cooking. Home cooks are getting more familiar with a variety of pepper-based condiments from across the globe, bringing new layers of heat and flavor to dinner.

Source: Home Chef