Published 10 June 2025

12 min read

Amid rising food costs, time constraints and choice overwhelm, home cooks are embracing ‘culinary hackery’ – conjuring versatile and nutritious meals using minimal time, moderate effort and palatable cost. From reimagined ready meals and personalised takeaways to harder-working ingredients and agile appliances, the ‘hustle home cook’ is marrying convenience with their foodie aspirations.

Everyday Culinary Economists

Low-Lift Attitudes to Cooking

Elevating Ready Meals & Takeaways

Home cooks are becoming more budget-conscious than ever as rising food prices and economic uncertainty continue to squeeze household spending. Meals need to be affordable, stretch across multiple occasions, and deliver on taste and nutrition. As dining out becomes less feasible due to escalated pricing, cooking at home has become both a necessity and a careful balancing act.

Home cooks are becoming more budget-conscious than ever as rising food prices and economic uncertainty continue to squeeze household spending. Meals need to be affordable, stretch across multiple occasions, and deliver on taste and nutrition. As dining out becomes less feasible due to escalated pricing, cooking at home has become both a necessity and a careful balancing act.

Summary

Everyday Culinary Economists

Home cooks are becoming more budget-conscious than ever as rising food prices and economic uncertainty continue to squeeze household spending. Meals need to be affordable, stretch across multiple occasions, and deliver on taste and nutrition. As dining out becomes less feasible due to escalated pricing, cooking at home has become both a necessity and a careful balancing act.

Low-Lift Attitudes to Cooking

Today’s consumers are increasingly seeking minimal-effort, maximum-reward recipes that deliver on flavour and visual appeal. As food influencers serve this cohort with inspiring and inventive meal prep ideas, convenience no longer means compromise – it means smart and stylish shortcuts in the kitchen. See also Meet the Food Flexers for more on trending recipes and kitchen hacks.

Elevating Ready Meals & Takeaways

Consumers continue to lean on prepared foods and ready meals, but their expectations have evolved. Here, high-quality ingredients, bold and authentic flavours, and cleaner labels have become front and centre. Ready meals that look and taste homemade offer nourishment and reassurance, while protein-loaded dishes meet the convenience needs of consumers taking weight-loss medications. For more on consumers seeking cleaner lifestyles, read Meet the Food Intellectuals.

Meet the Hustle Home Cooks

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?

Topics

Want to see the full report?

Offering access to over 350 consumer and cross-industry reports annually, Stylus Membership is your window to tomorrow’s most exciting opportunities.

We already arm more than 500 of the world’s most forward-thinking brands and agencies with the creative insights they need to make transformative business decisions.

We’d love to do the same for you.

Book a demo with us today to discover more.

Want to see the full report?

Offering access to over 350 consumer and cross-industry reports annually, Stylus Membership is your window to tomorrow’s most exciting opportunities.

We already arm more than 500 of the world’s most forward-thinking brands and agencies with the creative insights they need to make transformative business decisions.

We’d love to do the same for you.

Book a demo with us today to discover more.

Meet the Hustle Home Cooks

Meet the Hustle Home Cooks

Meet the Hustle Home Cooks

Meet the Hustle Home Cooks

Meet the Hustle Home Cooks

Amid rising food costs, time constraints and choice overwhelm, home cooks are embracing ‘culinary hackery’ – conjuring versatile and nutritious meals using minimal time, moderate effort and palatable cost. From reimagined ready meals and personalised takeaways to harder-working ingredients and agile appliances, the...

1 / 9