CGF report says home cooking stays ideal as GLP-1s and AI reshape food habits

A new Consumer Goods Forum report released at the group’s Global Summit in Vienna says most consumers still want to cook at home, but cost, time pressure and digital tools are changing what they eat and how they decide. The findings point to a food industry facing faster shifts in grocery, restaurant and nutrition behavior as GLP-1 use grows.

Why it matters: - The report shows a widening gap between what consumers want — healthier home cooking — and what many can realistically do amid busy schedules, rising costs and convenience-driven habits. - The findings signal new pressure on food makers, grocers and restaurants to offer healthier, cheaper and faster meal options. - GLP-1 use and AI tools are changing both demand and decision-making, which could reshape product sales and the economics of food categories.

What happened: - The Consumer Goods Forum’s Healthier Lives Coalition released a report with Bain & Company at CGF’s Global Summit in Vienna on June 24, 2026. - The report, titled State of food habits: A baseline of how consumers eat today, examines how consumers in Europe and the United States source meals and make food choices. - The study pulls from multiple consumer research programs and focuses on the trade-offs between health, convenience, cost and quality.

The details: - About 75% of all meals are eaten at home rather than away from home. - Roughly half of at-home meals are cooked from scratch. - Consumers link scratch cooking with healthier eating, better quality, lower cost and more control over ingredients. - About 50% of consumers say they do not have time to cook more at home from scratch. - One third of consumers say they are cutting restaurant spending. - Half of shoppers say private-label products match or beat national brands on quality and taste, while also being more affordable. - One in three at-home meals involves no cooking, relying on ready meals or food delivery. - Ready meals account for 20% of at-home meals. - One third of consumers want to reduce ready meal consumption because of concerns about nutrition and additives. - Restaurant delivery accounts for one in ten at-home meals. - Around 40% of at-home meals are eaten alone, pushing demand for quick and nutritious options. - Around half of consumers already use digital tools, including AI-powered tools, for meal planning, shopping, nutrition and dietary guidance. - Among AI tool users, 40% use the tools to evaluate nutritional information and dietary guidance. - The report says AI and digital tools are reducing the influence of traditional brand relationships and increasing the importance of algorithm-driven visibility, trusted recommendations and credible validation. - The report estimates that by 2030, one in three Americans, one in four Brazilians and one in eight Britons will have used a GLP-1 medication. - Active GLP-1 users spend about 3% to 4% less on groceries overall. - GLP-1 users spend about 5% less on fast food, with one banner seeing spending drop by as much as 8% to 9%. - GLP-1 users report healthier eating patterns and are buying more vitamins, meal replacement products, fruit and vegetables, and fish and poultry. - The report points to stronger impacts in center-aisle grocery categories. - The Consumer Goods Forum says the topic will be discussed further at its Global Summit. - A LinkedIn page for The Consumer Goods Forum is available here.

Between the lines: - The report suggests convenience is no longer just about saving time; it is becoming a central feature of healthy eating as consumers juggle budgets, solo meals and digital guidance. - The shift toward AI-driven food discovery could make brand loyalty less important than search placement, recommendation systems and third-party validation. - GLP-1 adoption may create a longer-term demand shock for grocery and restaurant categories, especially products tied to impulse buying and larger portions. - The comments from Tesco, Ahold Delhaize, Haleon, Danone and The Consumer Goods Forum point to a shared industry view that healthier choices need to be easier, not just better in theory.

What's next: - The Consumer Goods Forum plans to keep discussing GLP-1-related changes and broader food habit shifts at its Global Summit. - Food companies and retailers are likely to focus more on convenience-led health products, digital nutrition tools and value offerings as consumer behavior keeps shifting. - The report's baseline may serve as a reference point for tracking how AI and GLP-1s alter food purchasing over time.

The bottom line: - Consumers still want home-cooked, healthy meals, but time pressure, cost concerns, AI tools and GLP-1 medications are rapidly changing how food decisions get made.