Around a third of all Germans say they cook home-cooked meals more often than before the pandemic. People working from home in particular are spending more time at home, meaning they have more time to spend in the kitchen and try out new recipes. However, quick and easy preparation is still important to half of consumers.

Would you like to take a look at our recipe collection? You'll find lots of quick recipes here.

Many of those surveyed attach particular importance to fresh and healthy ingredients when cooking. The demand for variety and diversity has increased. One in six say they eat more healthily than before the coronavirus pandemic. This is particularly true for people working from home. The proportion of plant-based foods is increasing: fruit and vegetables are being eaten more often, sausage and meat less frequently. The number of so-called flexitarians has increased. That's a positive start, but people are also snacking a lot more. Snacks, cakes and sweets are very popular and are consumed up to 20% more often.

If you don't want to have a guilty conscience when snacking, you should take a look at our protein snacks. You can also reach for cookies, cup cakes and the like.

Emotional eating is on the rise

Especially in times of coronavirus, sadness, worry, boredom and stress are high on the agenda and make many people turn to food. They find an outlet for these emotions in food. This is why comfort food (food for the soul) is in greater demand.

The fact that the fridge is fully stocked when working from home and is only a few steps away are also reasons for eating more frequently. So it's no wonder that more than one in four people in Germany has put on weight despite using their own stove more often. Added to this are the currently closed gyms and sports clubs, the lack of cycling or walking to work and the lack of exercise when working from home. The lack of exercise also has an impact on the scales.

The daily meal as an event

Meals together as a family have once again taken on a more important role in German households. Meal times have become more regular, with meals often marking breaks or the end of the working day. As many German households are working from home, more conscious eating away from the desk is also increasing in order to separate work and leisure more strictly.

Health is high on the agenda

In times of coronavirus, Germans have placed a strong focus on their health. Consumers are showing an increased interest in workplace health promotion and vegan food supplements or foods that have a positive effect on the immune system have gained in importance. We offer a wide selection of important micronutrients for your body's defenses. Click here for our vitamins & minerals. Would you like to know why vitamin D in particular has positive effects during coronavirus? Then read our blog post.

Values are changing

Consumers are currently paying more attention to what ends up in the cooking pot: Seasonality, regionality and sustainability are very much in vogue. The purchase of organic products has also increased. Consumers are hoping to do something good for their bodies. According to a survey, consumers are also focusing more on species, climate and environmental protection as well as animal welfare.

Sources:
https://www.bmel.de/SharedDocs/Downloads/DE/Broschueren/ernaehrungsreport-2020.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=23 https://www.zeit.de/wissen/gesundheit/2020-10/ernaehrung-corona-krise-veraenderung-forsa-studie-umfrage-bmel-lebensstil/seite-2 https://www.bmel.de/SharedDocs/Pressemitteilungen/DE/2020/091-ernaehrungsreport2020.html https://www.nutrition-hub.de/post/wie-corona-unsere-ern%C3%A4hrung-ver%C3%A4ndert