Make It More Than Convenient
The economy is improving, but consumers’ conservative spending habits remain. According to the third-quarter MarketPulse report from Chicago-based Information Resources Inc. (IRI), 49 percent of consumers are eating at home more often instead of dining out, and 90 percent expect to continue to do so in 2014.
And brands are doing a “wonderful job” catering to these consumers with their skillet meals, says Susan Viamari, editor of IRI’s Times & Trends report.
“[They are] elevating their value equation by making these occasions more exciting, with restaurant-inspired flavors and textures that are quick and convenient to prepare,” she states.
Trends with traction
Today’s consumers are more interested in eating better. So it’s understandable that they’re demanding better-for-you options in the frozen meals space.
“Category Insight: Prepared Meals,” a July 2013 report from global market research firm Mintel, notes that 43 percent of U.S. consumers agree that most frozen dinners have little nutritional value, and 67 percent want to see a wider selection of healthful frozen meals.
“Healthful options could better market full servings of vegetables, high protein content, all-natural ingredients and low-sodium/low-fat recipes, given particularly strong consumer interest in these areas, yet limited [new product development],” it states.
On the skillet meals side, Jeff Gehres, director of sales and product development with Holland, Mich.-based Request Foods, says his company is hard at work to make better-for-you options that also taste great.
“Sodium reduction and eliminating trans fat in the foodservice prepared entrées is currently a focus with our R&D team,” he states. “This is also a focus for us when we develop private label products for retail.”
Request Foods also is concentrating much of its R&D in the breakfast foods category, Gehres states.
“I think the breakfast category is going to grow over the next year,” he says. “We have been focusing on developing more breakfast skillet and single-serve items.”
Trends on the horizon
Comprising 80 million people (according to a Sept. 5 article on Time magazine’s website), millennials have a sophisticated palate, says Marc Halperin, chief operating officer with CCD Innovation, Emeryville, Calif. Therefore, retailers and manufacturers will need to continue to develop and offer more ethnically driven frozen skillet meals.
“The millennial temperament wants choice, flavor adventure and convenience,” he notes. “How better to wrap those all together?”
Frozen skillet meal manufacturers traditionally have rolled out classic Asian- and Italian-style products such as P.F. Chang’s Beef with Broccoli (manufactured by ConAgra) and Bertolli’s Roasted Chicken Risotto (manufactured by Unilever), explains Kazia Jankowski, an associate culinary director with Boulder, Colo.-based Sterling-Rice Group. But consumers’ palates are becoming more refined, which means retailers need to start thinking beyond the traditional.
“They are experiencing a wider variety of Asian cuisines — like Thai, Vietnamese and Korean — and they are beginning to see more pasta options,” she explains. “Quinoa and brown rice … have hit grocery store shelves. Giant ravioli and large-scale fusilli are available at restaurants. Frozen skillet meals are poised to take advantage of these consumer culinary trends, and next year, they could offer more authentic Asian dishes, like Thai curry or Korean barbecue.”
Flavored and gluten-free pastas also could begin making their way into frozen skillet meals in 2014, Jankowski adds.