February 4/Pediatrics Week -- As straightforward as the concept of convenience may seem, it is more complicated to define when it comes to Americans making food choices, according to a recent study by The NPD Group. In its latest food and beverage market research, NPD finds that 72 million adult consumers -- nearly one in three adults -- are "convenience consumers," but their needs are varied depending on their life stage and other characteristics.
According to the NPD report, "The Many Facets of Convenience," convenience consumers, who attitudinally place a premium on convenience, tend to fall into one or more of the following groups: younger adults, males, singles who have never been married, single-member households, working parents, parents with a young child (age 5 or younger), or lower-income households. Convenience consumers feel their lives are hectic and rushed and that a dinner taking more than 30 minutes to make is inconvenient. While they believe convenient foods are more expensive, less healthy, and do not taste as good, they also indicate "convenience is worth paying for."