Gen Z is increasingly swapping home cooked dinners for delivery orders and packaged meals, according to a survey highlighted by The Mirror. The research suggests the shift is less about culinary preferences and more about how squeezed weeknights have become. With long days and packed schedules, many younger adults appear to be treating dinner as a task to finish quickly. The result is a growing reliance on convenience foods, even when that convenience comes with tradeoffs.
The study surveyed 2,000 adults and found a clear pattern among people under 28. As evening approaches, 35 percent of respondents in that age group said they order dinner for delivery. Another 29 percent said they typically choose prepackaged meals and sandwiches instead of cooking. Those figures point to a generation that often sees the simplest option as the most realistic one after work or school.
Time pressure showed up as the most common explanation. Six in ten respondents said they have less time to prepare dinner than ever before. Nearly half, 47 percent, reported having under 30 minutes to make a meal on an average workday. Among those who feel especially short on time, 31 percent said they turn to practical ready meals to get dinner sorted quickly.
Fatigue was another major driver in the responses. Many participants connected their lack of cooking time to being worn out after a long day. Work hours and lengthy commutes were also cited as reasons evenings feel too compressed for chopping, cooking, and cleanup. When people feel depleted, cooking can become one more demand rather than a way to unwind.
The survey also pointed to a broader decline in weekday cooking time over the last decade. It reported that time spent cooking during the week has fallen by 20 percent in the past 10 years. In that same context, 38 percent of respondents said they now choose easier recipes because modern life is so demanding. Even when people do cook, they may be simplifying to reduce stress and finish faster.
Routine and confidence in the kitchen were also described as obstacles. More than half of respondents, 55 percent, said they feel trapped in a cooking routine, which can make meals feel repetitive and uninspiring. Another 31 percent said a lack of kitchen confidence keeps them from trying new dishes. That hesitation can push people toward familiar takeout orders or store bought options that feel less risky than experimenting.
Food waste concerns play into that reluctance as well. Among those who said confidence is a barrier, 32 percent worried about throwing away food if a new recipe fails. Another 22 percent said they do not always have the ingredients on hand to try something different. When you combine limited time with fear of waste and missing ingredients, it is easy to see why convenience foods can feel like the safer bet.
The research was carried out by Merchant Gourmet, a British food company that is using the findings to encourage simpler home cooking. The company is launching an initiative called “Yes Chef” aimed at promoting meals that can be made in 30 minutes or less. The campaign is designed to inspire young people to cook more at home and try new, straightforward recipes. While it is a branded effort, it directly targets the problems the survey highlights, including time constraints and low confidence.
This trend fits into a larger reality about how food choices are shaped by daily structure. When evenings are dominated by work, commuting, and responsibilities, convenience becomes a tool for coping, not just a preference. Delivery and ready meals also remove the planning burden, which can be just as draining as cooking itself. At the same time, reliance on convenience can make it harder to build cooking habits, since practice is often what creates confidence.
It helps to understand what people mean when they say Gen Z, since the label comes up so often in discussions like this. Gen Z generally refers to the generation born after Millennials, often placed from the late 1990s into the early 2010s, though exact year ranges vary by source. The group grew up with smartphones, social media, and on demand services as everyday norms, which influences how they solve problems like dinner. That environment can make delivery feel like a default option rather than an occasional treat.
Ready meals and prepared foods are not automatically good or bad, but they do come with practical considerations. Store bought meals can be helpful for portion control and time savings, yet they can also be higher in sodium and lower in vegetables depending on what you choose. Cooking at home can offer more control over ingredients, but it requires planning, basic skills, and time for cleanup. Many people end up mixing approaches, using ready foods on hectic nights and cooking when they have more bandwidth.
If someone wants to cook more without adding stress, the biggest difference usually comes from reducing friction. Keeping a small set of flexible staples on hand can make it easier to pull together a quick meal without extra shopping. Repeating a few reliable dinners during the week can cut decision fatigue while still leaving room to try something new once in a while. Starting with simple methods like sheet pan meals, one pot dishes, or basic stir fries can also build confidence without feeling like a high stakes experiment.
Do you think Gen Z’s turn toward delivery and ready meals is a sensible adaptation to modern schedules or a habit that will be hard to reverse, share your thoughts in the comments.
