COULD THE TRADITIONAL SUNDAY ROAST BE AT RISK?

The rising cost of living has forced families to change their cooking habits, and our Uk-wide Good Food Nation survey, of more than 3,000 adults and kids, reveals our beloved roast dinner is facing the chop

Families are changing their daily shopping, cooking and eating habits in an attempt to save money in the face of the rising cost of living. The key indings from the 2022 Good Food Nation report, which asked 2,005 adults and 1,007 children (aged 5 to 16) about their eating habits, pointed towards a more frugal approach with many respondents adopting new regimes in order to cut their shopping costs.

Planning meals in advance (28%) and batch-cooking (23%) were two of the most popular ways people felt they could control costs when cooking.

Impending bill rises for gas and electricity have also had an impact, with 23% saying they use the oven and hob less, and 21% who say they use the microwave more for cooking. There’s also change in the type of things people cook, as 19% claim to use quicker-to-cook ingredients and also look for speedy recipes to save on energy use.

This could mean some of our customs and traditions are under threat. Among those who cook, 26% claim they are less likely to make a Sunday roast, and with 20% not baking as many cakes or biscuits, our beloved teatime could look quite di‹erent as well.

Some people have even closed the oven door for good, with 18% claiming that they no longer switch it on.

There is still an eagerness to learn among those we asked, with over half the respondents (52%) keen to discover new budget-friendly recipes so they can continue to eat interesting meals. And this tightening of the budget has had a small but positive impact in the way we consume, with more than three in ive people (64%) agreeing that they’re cutting back on food waste in order to save money.

Children have strong opinions on budgeting, too. When asked what they thought their family could be doing to save on costs when cooking, the top responses were using up food they already have in the house (61%) and buying cheaper ingredients (55%). Children also saw the impact of the cost of living increase in other areas, with 48% of their families ordering fewer takeaway meals and 31% saying they ate out on fewer occasions, whether in cafés, restaurants or fast food. Another money-saving tactic the kids have embraced is taking packed lunches to school instead of paying for school dinners (15%).

For more 2022 Good Food Nation results, see bbcgoodfood. com/bbc-good-food-nation.