Stop & Shop Survey: Nearly Half of Shoppers Report Family Dinners are Cramped by Time

As summer comes to an end, and families get back into the school routine, parents consistently find themselves feeling pinched for time. The Stop & Shop Supermarket Company recently surveyed more than 500 shoppers on their dinner habits, finding that more than 40 percent of families rely on recipes that are quick and easy-to-make favorites, above all else. One way that shoppers have found to hold on to precious family time while still preparing dinner, is by turning to "Go-to Meals." A "Go-To Meal" is quick to prepare, requires little skill, calls for ingredients that are already on hand, and is family approved. The survey found 88 percent of shoppers relied on "Go-To Meals" such as spaghetti, baked chicken and tacos at least once or twice a week. What's more, 90 percent of shoppers reported also factoring in the nutrition quality of meals, ranking it as very important or extremely important when deciding what to make for dinner. The top 5 Go to Meals include:

"Stop & Shop believes that families can have it all when it comes to dinner time-quick, family approved and nutritious meals," says Julie Menounos, MS, RD, LDN, and Nutritionist for Stop & Shop. "For these determined parents, Stop & Shop offers various tips that speed up their favorite recipes, getting them out of the kitchen more quickly with a healthy meal in hand."