Convenience versus sustainability: the new tension in food consumption

Older generations generally spend more time cooking, averaging about 7 hours per week. In contrast, younger generations (< 30 years old) spend an average of only 4.5 hours per week preparing meals. This change cannot simply be attributed to an age difference, but stems from the increasing busyness and individualization of our lifestyles. This shift in time allocation has led to an increasing demand for quick and simple solutions. About 58% of consumers would occasionally buy take-out snacks or meals from supermarkets or discount stores.

In addition, there is a growing awareness of eating sustainably and healthily. Consumers attach increasing importance to nutritional values, Nutri-Scores and sufficient variety in food. This need for sustainable and healthy food is at odds with the desire for easy solutions. And what turns out? When consumers have to choose, convenience is preferred over health and sustainability. But only if they really have to choose, because the busy, yet environmentally and health-conscious consumer "wants it all.

Because consumers want convenient as well as healthy meals, fresh (home) meal kits have been on the rise for several years. These save consumers time because they don't have to search for recipes or gather ingredients. With home delivery, like HelloFresh, they don't even have to leave the door. But even this level of convenience doesn't always prove sufficient.

As a pioneer in the meal box market, HelloFresh is therefore changing its strategy, introducing Factor, a weekly meal box system with ready meals. These meals are pre-packaged and only need to be reheated. No more going to the store and no more cooking. Even brands not originally focused on meals, such as sports supplement brand XXL Nutrition, now offer such meals, promising to be tasty, healthy and fresh.

Consumers' desire for convenience in their food choices stands in stark contrast to the focus on sustainability. Convenience food is often not the healthiest or most sustainable option due to extra packaging, the environmental impact of home delivery, and the frequent inclusion of large amounts of meat with limited plant-based alternatives.

Despite a growing interest in sustainability among the Belgian population—85% consider sustainability important, and more than half (52%) are willing to switch brands due to a poor sustainability reputation—most Belgians place the responsibility for tackling climate change on businesses. This raises the crucial question: how can companies navigate this apparent contradiction?

The challenge for companies is to find harmony between these two divergent needs. They must pursue sustainable practices while meeting consumers' desires for convenient, accessible foods. Because not many solutions on the market currently meet both requirements, convenience wins over sustainability. So brands that do find a balance and communicate it can win a lot of customer hearts as well as create positive change for the environment and in consumer behavior.

The British company Allplants is a good example of this. They are a certified B-corp and offer a meal box system with ready meals delivered to your home. All meals are plantbased and sustainably packaged. So their mission is ambitious: "AllPlants is on a mission to combat climate change and regenerate the planet by making it easy, exciting and affordable for people to eat more plants and therefore less animal products."

In addition to offering sustainable ready meals, brands can also educate customers and make it clear that truly fresh, sustainable meals (from basic ingredients) can also be quick and easy, given a little effort. We see that influencers are an important and relevant partner to inspire and activate people to get back into the habit of eating fresh food.

Here it is important to communicate authentically: be open about the efforts you are already making, but make sure you don't present it in too positive a light. Consumers are quick to puncture greenwashing lies. So it's definitely okay to say, "We're not there yet, but we're working on it."

The tension between convenience and sustainability in the food industry requires companies to take a balanced approach. As the demand for convenience meals and ready-to-(h)eat products increases, awareness around sustainability is also growing.

Companies such as Allplants show that it is possible to combine sustainable practices with consumer convenience. Going forward, brands must continue to strive for innovation to bring about a positive change in both consumer behavior and environmental impact, while still meeting the demands of the modern consumer.