Good Food releases survey results

Over 2000 UK adults nationwide took part in the annual Good Food Nation survey into how the nation eats, commissioned by the UK food media brand Good Food.

• 81% of us have changed our food habits due to rising costs, with households with two children the most affected, at 89%.
• 80% of Britain would be put off by time-consuming recipes, while 76% have experienced 'decision fatigue' when planning meals.
• 42% of us are planning meals in advance to save money - and those who do are significantly more likely to avoid ultra-processed foods.

The Good Food Nation survey released this week by Good Food, reveals how the ongoing cost of living crisis is transforming the way Britain eats - creating a nation of increasingly cautious, habit-driven cooks who are reluctant to stray from tried-and-tested recipes.

The survey revealed 81% of respondents say rising costs have changed their food habits, with households with two children the most likely to have overhauled their eating habits, at 89%. Hampering creativity in the kitchen, almost half (45%) of respondents across all demographics say expensive ingredients put them off cooking new dishes.

Away from food prices, the survey showed the way we cook is also affected with 38% of retirees saying they have used more energy-efficient cooking methos such as an air fryer to save on their energy bills.

Cost concerns are also intensifying another growing challenge: decision fatigue. Some 76% of Britons have experienced it when planning meals, while 80% say a time-consuming recipe would put them off trying a new recipe. As a result, many are sticking with familiar choices: six in ten (61%) eat the same breakfast every day, and 38% regularly have the same lunch. Among the most time-pressed group - 25-34 year olds - shortcuts are becoming more common, with 5% saying that ordering a takeaway counts as cooking.

Yet amid the food fatigue and financial pressure, a more positive picture is emerging, added the publisher. Keen to take control of their budgets, 42% of respondents now benefit from planning their meals in advance to save money, with 25% of people benefiting from batch cooking.

Meal planning also proves to be a powerful tool against ultra-processed foods (UPFs): 72% of meal planners are more likely to avoid them, compared with 61% of those who don't plan.

Lily Barclay, content director, Good Food, says: "The data from this year’s Good Food Nation survey paints a clear picture of a nation under pressure - but also one that is adapting with real ingenuity. People are understandably risk-averse when money is tight but what's encouraging is that this same instinct to plan and be careful can lead people away from ultra-processed foods and towards genuinely healthier affordable eating."

The Good Food Nation 2026 findings in more detail:

As the cost of living crisis continues, our food habits have changed in order to save money:

• 81% of UK adults have changed their food habits due to rising costs. Households with two children are most likely to have changed their habits (89%)
• 42% of us look for value, with the North East most deal-savvy at 59%
• Almost one-third (30%) are eating or buying fewer snacks, a practice most common in 25-34s at 34%. Busy households with three or more children are cutting down on snacking the most, at 38%!
• Air fryers continue to go the distance. Some 24% of us use them to save energy, rising to 38% in retirees aged 65-74.
• Almost half (45%) of respondents are put off by expensive ingredients with an across both ABC1 and C2DE social groups (46 and 44%), but unemployed is highest at 55% and retired is lowest at 34%.

• 23% of 18 to 34-year-olds say they often feel stressed when thinking about what to eat, and one in five 25 to 34-year-olds is often stressed while shopping.
• While six in 10 (61%) have the same breakfast every day, 38% have the same lunch – but only 19% stick to the same dinners.

• One-quarter of us cook in batches, dropping to 20% in men and rising to 29% in women. Part-time workers are most likely to batch cook at 31%.
• More than one-third (34%) plan our meals ‘a few days in advance’
• 42% plan meals in advance to save money
• 17% of respondents feared that meal planning might actually lead to more waste

• London is the region most likely to avoid UPFs at 69%, compared to a UK average of 66.
• 27% said they were not confident in identifying a UPF.
• Meal planners are significantly more likely to avoid UPFs: 72% of planners vs 61% of those who don't plan. Those planning more than a week in advance are most likely to avoid UPFs, at 77%.

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