Lockdown is changing the way we eat. In fact, according to a recent study commissioned by plant-based-spread producer Flora, 61% of Brits think their eating habits have shifted during lockdown and almost a third said they've learned how to cook new dishes. As countries around the world remain under stay-at-home orders, we take a look at how our shopping and eating habits have changed during the coronavirus pandemic.
According to data by Statista, rice sales in the US increased by 57.5% in March 2020. Similarly, France saw a rise of 168.9% in the week of 15 March, while rice sales in the UK climbed by 129.9% in the week of 22 March. Given rice is such a staple ingredient, we're hardly surprised.
One of lockdown's most popular foods has been dry pasta, with supermarket shelves being left bare for weeks. As consumers stocked up on this versatile ingredient, dried pasta sales rose by 77.5% in France in the week of 8 March versus the same week last year. Meanwhile, in the UK, pasta and canned beans sales were up 51.9% over the same period.
In the US, sales of yeast spiked by a massive 410% for the four-week period ending 11 April, compared to the same time in 2019, according to data from Nielsen. Meanwhile in Europe, Italians bought 114% more yeast this March compared to last year. Yeast shortages have also been widely reported across the UK. And with yeast, you often need...
Flour is a necessity for making your own bread and lockdown has seen bakers across the world rush to stock up. Sales of flour were up 205% in Italy for March compared to last year, according to research by the Coop supermarket. In the UK, flour mills are working tirelessly to meet demand, which increased by 92% in the four weeks leading up to 22 March compared to 2019. A similar trend has been observed in the US, the world’s fifth largest wheat producer and consumer, where flour mills are also scrambling to boost production.
As consumers rushed to stockpile everything from toilet paper to long-life foods, Nestlé reported its best quarterly sales growth in nearly five years. With the prospect of coffee shops closing, consumers in North America stocked up on Nescafé and Coffee-Mate products with the sales figures increasing by high single-digit percentages.
Missing your favourite coffee shop? Here's how to make a perfect brew from home
Also under the Nestlé umbrella, the Maggi noodles range have proved extremely popular in Europe too. As consumers faced lockdown and began making fewer supermarket trips, many turned to the quick comfort of instant noodles. Got some at home? Why not jazz up your instant noodles with this miso ramen or this beef noodle soup recipe?
Eggs are an essential ingredient in many bakes and a breakfast staple too, and sales have surged around the world. In Italy, egg sales were up 58% and in the US demand was up by 48%, according to Nielsen. In the UK, The Telegraph reported that egg cups have been selling out as Brits are eating more boiled eggs for breakfast.
Still struggling to find eggs in shops? Here are some ideas for cracking egg-free bakes
In Italy, mozzarella has become a hot commodity with sales shooting up by 125% in March, according to Coop data. With sales of flour and yeast also spiking, it’s thought that many Italians are making their own pizza and bread during lockdown.
In Spain, olives have seen a 93.8% rise in sales since lockdown was imposed, according to consumer magazine Inforetail. Meanwhile, the UK saw a massive 563.5% increase in online sales of olive oil between 1 January and 11 March, according to Criteo’s Shopper Network.
As people turn to tinned foods, US shoppers have been stocking up on tuna, with sales up 142% for the week ending 14 March compared to the same period in 2019. Meanwhile Spaniards have been buying more anchovies, with sales of the tinned fish up 60%, according to Inforetail. An anchovy factory in Albania owned by Italian company Nettuno, the third biggest anchovy exporter to the EU last year, has reported orders increasing by 30%, with high demand from fish-lovers in Italy and Spain.
While supermarket shelves were stripped bare for several weeks in March, the UK saw a huge growth in demand for organic veg boxes. Companies such as Abel & Cole and Riverford struggled to cope, as both brands reported more than a 25% increase in orders. Another similar company, Oddbox, had to put new orders on hold for a time as it faced "unprecedented levels of demand".
Pandemic-driven stockpiling also increased the demand for plant-based products. The sales of oat milk grew 476.7% in the week ending 14 March, while plant-based "meat" sales increased by 279.8% in the same week, according to Nielsen data.
Never tried milk alternatives? Get clued up on plant-based milks with our informative guide
Many of us are used to ordering our favourite takeaway once or twice a week, whether that's pizza, Chinese or fast food. And while lockdown has forced restaurants, cafés and bars to close, many would-be diners are choosing to order in food instead of cooking from scratch at home. Outlets have had to adapt quickly in order to offer takeaway services and some businesses now report an increase of more than 400% in orders, when compared to the same time last year.
Unsurprisingly, most countries around the world have seen a significant boom in the sales of canned foods. In the week of 15 March canned peas sales in France were up by 140.2%; canned soup sales rose by 279.3% in the US; and in the UK both canned meats (143.8%) and canned beans (120.1%) saw a surge in sales.
Check out our recipe ideas for the most popular canned foods
Tinned chopped tomatoes have been among the most popular canned foods in the UK, with suppliers reporting a 30% increase in demand by supermarkets as their stocks sold out. This versatile ingredient can be turned into a variety of dishes, from soup and chilli to ratatouille and pasta.
Understandably, it was long-life products that disappeared from the shelves first, however, sales in frozen foods also saw a huge increase across the world. Consumers rushed to fill their freezers with everything from frozen meat and fish to frozen vegetables, snacks and fries, with sales soaring by 92.7% in the US, 84.4% in the UK and 64.3% in France.
Is your freezer overwhelmed? Here are 30 tried and tested tips to organise it better
It's not surprising that many of us are indulging in some extra comfort food during these uncertain times, and when Easter came many of us enjoyed a chocolate or two (or three). UK chocolate retailer Thorntons said that demand was “four times higher than average” for the first week of April, while in Spain chocolate sales are up by nearly 80%, according to Inforetail.
Beer sales were up by 42% in the US, according to Nielsen data for the week ending 21 March. In France, beer sales were also up 6.9% between 13 March and 29 March, while in Spain they were up by 78% for the week beginning 16 March. But what about the Corona beer which now shares its name with the virus? Despite the fact that 38% of US beer drinkers reported they would not buy it “under any circumstances”, sales are actually up by 5% in the US.
Snack shelves have been looking pretty bare too, as shoppers stock up on treats for lockdown. Along with beer and chocolate, sales of potato chips in Spain are up 87.1% since lockdown began, according to Inforetail. In the US, potato-chip sales increased 30% for the week ending 14 March compared to last year, while pretzels were up 47% and popcorn was up by 48%, according to Nielsen data.
Wine sales rose by nearly two-thirds in the US for the week ending 21 March, according to Nielsen data. And in Spain wine sales have jumped a massive 62.7% since the government declared a state of lockdown, according to Inforetail. Julián Ribalda, the director of the Madrid online wine store Lavinia (one of the largest in Spain), told El País newspaper that they are "seeing numbers as though it were Christmas".
Google Trends has also revealed some interesting data on recipes and dishes that people have been searching for. Bakers all around the world have been showing off their best banana bread bakes, which calls for only three ingredients – bananas, self-raising flour and condensed milk – in its most basic form.
Similarly, if you've spent any time on social media this past month, you might have noticed a lot of people baking their own bread and giving sourdough starters a go. Bread-making is actually a very therapeutic activity so why not try it out for yourself?
In the US, there's been a surge in searches for churros, with Google seeing a 350% spike as of 28 April. This might seem surprising, but can probably be explained by Disney Parks revealing their secret Churro Bites recipe. So you can enjoy your favourite fast food in lockdown, we've gathered together some of the world's most sough-after and secret recipes, including IKEA meatballs, a Sausage and Egg McMuffin and, of course, the Churro Bites too.
It appears that lockdown has us reaching for the ice-cream tub too, with sales up by 76.2% in Spain, according to Inforetail. In the US, ice-cream sales were up 23% in the week beginning 14 March compared to the same time last year too. Want to make your own? Check out our ice-cream recipes, from no-churn condensed milk to silky strawberry and buttermilk.