By SmashMeals Editorial — 2026-09-30 — Prepared Food Trends
The short answer
Consumers may be cutting restaurant spending without suddenly gaining more time to cook. That creates a middle ground for prepared meals: more predictable portions and pricing than many restaurant orders, with less work than cooking from scratch.
Key facts
- Popmenu says 67% of consumers are spending less at restaurants than they did a year ago.
- Consumers reported tactics including ordering fewer deliveries and choosing lower-cost menu options.
- The survey describes consumer behavior; it does not prove prepared meals are cheaper than every restaurant or home-cooked meal.
- A fair comparison should include serving size, delivery/service fees, groceries that go unused, and the customer's time.
KINGSPORT, Tenn., Sept. 30, 2026 — Two-thirds of consumers say they are spending less at restaurants than they did a year ago, according to new Popmenu research. People are not simply abandoning convenience; they are getting more deliberate about how they buy it.
Dinner still has to happen
Cutting restaurant spending does not create extra hours in the day. Households still choose among cooking from scratch, restaurant takeout, delivery, frozen food and fresh prepared meals. Each option has a different combination of price, effort, portion and waste.
Compare the total dinner decision
A restaurant check can include delivery fees, tips and oversized portions. Cooking can include grocery waste and time. Prepared meals have their own price and delivery costs. There is no universal winner, so compare what matters for your household instead of relying on a blanket “cheaper” claim.
Where SmashMeals fits
SmashMeals publishes the current menu and pricing before customers order. Meals arrive fully prepared, which puts the company in the middle ground between restaurant ordering and cooking from scratch. See heat-and-eat meals or compare the live menu.
Commentary, not medical advice
The SmashMeals perspective
SmashMeals should compete for the nights when a customer does not want restaurant pricing but also does not want to shop, prep, cook and clean. The claim should be convenience and transparent pricing — not that meal prep is always the cheapest possible way to eat.
Sources & experts referenced
Sources are included for verification. No expert listed here endorses SmashMeals.
- Dining Out Looks Different as U.S. Consumers Get Creative with Stretching Dollars — Popmenu via PR Newswire
Why it matters: Current consumer survey on restaurant spending behavior.