Americans Cooking More at Home Amid Rising Grocery Costs, Survey Finds

A significant portion of Americans are increasing their home cooking due to squeezed budgets, according to a recent survey. Thirty-one percent of respondents reported cooking at home much more than they did a year ago, with higher grocery prices identified as the primary driver for this shift.

Changing Grocery Habits

The survey of 2,000 Americans revealed that budgetary constraints are reshaping how people shop for groceries. Twenty-six percent of respondents are now prioritizing ingredients that can be used across multiple meals. Minimizing food waste (73%), ensuring shelf life (72%), and maximizing nutritional value for the cost (71%) emerged as the leading considerations when making purchasing decisions.

More than half of those surveyed (60%) indicated that they plan their weekly meals around ingredient overlap. The ability of a single ingredient to be incorporated into breakfast, lunch, and dinner options was considered an essential or strong factor by nearly two-thirds of respondents (63%).

When it comes to versatile staples, potatoes were cited as the top choice by 40% of respondents. Other ingredients that individuals are relying on more heavily in the past year include eggs (38%), potatoes (37%), rice and pasta (35%), and beans (27%).

Re-evaluating Food Choices

Amidst these changing habits, 33% of respondents have reconsidered foods they previously avoided. Red meat (32%), white rice (31%), potatoes (30%), and eggs (29%) are among the foods that have found their way back into American diets. Nearly half of respondents (48%) now view potatoes more favorably than they did a year ago, with budget fit and versatility cited as equal contributing factors.

Consumers who regularly purchase potatoes rated them highly for their versatility across different meal types (82%), their effectiveness in feeding a household on a budget (82%), and their nutritional value (75%). Forty percent of respondents believe potatoes stretch their grocery budgets further than other options, and a similar percentage (40%) discovered that potatoes are more adaptable to various meals than they had previously thought.

For those who have reintroduced previously avoided foods, 38% cited the need for affordable options as a reason, while 33% realized the ingredient's versatility. The survey was conducted by Talker Research on behalf of the Idaho Potato Commission between June 12 and June 17, 2026.