What is Gen Z Cooking Up?

Gen Z enjoys cooking more than any other generation, values family meals and seeks convenient yet customizable meal options from retailers

By: Madeline Torrisi, Manager, Marketing, FMI

I straddle the line between Millennials and Gen Z, and home economics classes were already fading out when I was in school. So, I assumed Gen Z would be even less likely to know their way around the kitchen compared to Millennials. Boxed meal kits and step-by-step guides seemed like the only hope for anyone my age or younger to put together a meal. Personally, I dislike cooking—the time, the cleanup and the nagging feeling that whatever I make won’t taste as good as something store-bought. That’s why I lean on grocery stores for strong meal occasions and premade options that just need a quick heat-up or a splash of sauce.

But according to our 2025 research, I might be the outlier. As a whole, Gen Z actually enjoys cooking more than any other generation.

Despite assumptions, Gen Z isn’t shying away from the kitchen. In fact, they’re the generation that enjoys meal preparation the most compared to Boomers, Gen X and Millennials. Over half of Gen Z (51%) say they “like” or “love” meal preparation, compared to 46% overall. Only 6% see it as a chore, and just 11% would prefer not to do it at all. This demonstrates a genuine enthusiasm for getting hands-on in the kitchen.

When it comes to frequency, Gen Zer’s cook meals at home slightly less often than other generations. Only 52% of Gen Z cooks a meal at home at least four times a week, compared to 62% of shoppers overall. For context, just 11% of Gen Z cooks every day, while Boomers are most likely to cook daily at 26%. Still, 87% of Gen Z cook at least once a week, showing that home cooking is a regular part of their lives.

Since it is Family Meals Month, it would be a shame not to mention how family meals remain important to Gen Z, with 63% saying eating at home together is “very” or “extremely” important, closely matching the overall average. This suggests that, despite their busy lives and love of convenience, Gen Z values the tradition of gathering around the table with loved ones.

Gen Z also has clear preferences for how retailers can make meal preparation easier. The top request is for better value food options, with 49% of Gen Z citing this as their biggest need. They also appreciate partially prepared meal solutions (27%), more ready-to-eat meals (30%), and weekly meal plans (31%). Gen Z wants convenience, but they also want to be involved in the process, seeking out options that blend ease with the opportunity to cook and customize.

While my own kitchen journey leans heavily on convenience, Gen Z is proving that the next generation of shoppers is ready to roll up their sleeves and get cooking. They value family meals, enjoy the process and want retailers to meet them halfway with affordable, easy-to-prepare options.

Whether you’re a Millennial who loves avocado toast or a Gen Z-er experimenting with meal kits, the future of food is about blending convenience with creativity, and grocery stores have a big role to play in making that happen.

Check out more Gen Z Insights