Changes in cooking habits since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic U.S. in 2021

In 2021, approximately 44 percent of respondents in the United States (U.S.) stated that they have cooked more often, since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, approximately 25 percent stated that they have cooked more with family members.

Food preparation & cooking since the start of the pandemic

In April 2020, another survey comparing changes in eating and food preparation since the beginning of the pandemic found that nearly 60 percent of participants in the U.S. stated that they cook at home more often than before. When the survey was repeated in May 2021, this figure shrank to 47 percent. According to the survey results, nearly 18 percent stated that they are snacking more.

Other behavioral trends since the start of the pandemic

The pandemic has had many effects on our behavior. One survey in May 2020 asked respondents in the U.S. about changes in their activities while staying at home due to the pandemic. Nearly 71 percent of participants in the U.S. stated that they are watching more TV than before. This figure was significantly higher than the share of participants in the United Kingdom (U.K.) and Germany, where approximately 67 and 59 percent stated the same, respectively. In the United States, nearly 50 percent stated that they are watching online streaming services (e.g. Netflix) more often, while this figure was 45 and 36 percent in the U.K. and Germany, respectively. Another trend is that the share of digital spending has increased as well, particularly among (18-23 years olds) and Millennials (24-39 years olds).