As noted in Supermarket News, online retailer Thrive Market has announced a new shoppable cookbook, “Healthy Living Made Easy” (printed on carbon-neutral and Forest Stewardship Council paper), that features “add to cart” QR codes which enable Thrive members to purchase recipe-related ingredients on the Thrive website.
 
The cookbook features over 60 recipes contributed by food culture influencers, including Mark Sisson (Primal Kitchen), Amanda Chantal Bacon (Moon Juice) and Melissa Urban (Whole30), and incorporates dietary icons corresponding to over 90 products attributes and eating approaches shoppable by personalization-friendly filters on the site.
 
With many consumers cooking more at home than ever before, products that cleverly assist to combat cooking burnout are more important than ever. As a culinary tool, the merger of meal planning, cooking, and sourcing (via a physical cookbook and QR code digital ordering) seems to be an emerging frontier: other examples include the Don’t Cookbook from PostMates – which links pictured dishes to local restaurants by QR code. 
 
Products, tools, and services that creatively combine assistance and inspiration in the kitchen will likely remain highly relevant as consumers continue to struggle not only to find the energy and motivation to cook but also to plan meals that keep things interesting for themselves and their households. 
 
Previous Hartman Group foodways studies (including Transformation of the American Meal) have shown that, despite reports about the decline of cooking and the resurgence of dining out, Americans still see cooking as a valuable skill and something they generally enjoy doing. Most consumers regard home cooking as healthier and more economical than dining out or delivery/takeout.
 
For families in particular, home-cooked meals are associated with better nutrition and essential to
children’s long-term social and emotional development and dietary health.
 
The Hartman Group’s syndicated study currently fielding, At the Dining Table: American Meals and Cooking 2021, explores the full spectrum of meal approaches consumers are using today, from scratch cooking (and the skills and tools involved) to lighter preparation touches to outsourcing from grocery or food service as well as mixed-mode approaches.
 
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