Meat remains a mealtime staple for many Brits despite changing consumer eating habits during the last five years due to Covid lockdowns and rising food prices.
Meat has risen in popularity within both lunch and evening meals despite the continued pressure of rising food prices during the last year, figures show.
According to Kantar, 53.1% of mealtimes feature meat, fish and poultry (MFP) and 27.8% of lunch and evening meal occasions feature red meat, up from 27.6% a year ago.
More consumers are choosing to include meat in their lunches compared to before the Covid pandemic in 2019, such as cooked meats, pies and sandwiches.
The cost-of-living crisis also pushed more consumers towards alternative meat cuts to save money.
Cost conscious consumers now have an overwhelming desire for their meals to be filling, which has increased from 27.5% to 29.2% over the last 4 years.
Consumers are increasingly choosing cheaper carbohydrates like rice and pasta to bulk out their meals, aiming to use up cupboard stocks and are also pre-planning their meals to avoid wastage.
AHDB’s consumer insight manager, Vanessa Adamson said there was a real opportunity for red meat growth within in-home and family dining.
"We [must] continue to highlight meaty meals that are easy to prepare and part of a healthy balanced diet," she said,
“Campaigns like AHDB’s ‘Let’s Eat Balanced’ can help promote consumer awareness and foster long-term positive attitudes towards naturally produced British red meat and dairy.”
