Mix & Match Meal Components: What’s Really for Dinner?

 

The way Americans plan and consume dinner has undergone a seismic shift. Meal planning no longer begins in the kitchen, but often in the aisle of a grocery store, the drive-thru lane, or on a smartphone app. According to Foodservice Solutions® Grocerant ScoreCards, 83.2% of U.S. consumers do not know what they’ll have for dinner by 11:30 a.m., and 64.7% are still undecided at 4 p.m. This uncertainty has given rise to a new consumer-driven food space: the grocerant niche.

Grocerant foods — fresh prepared, Ready-2-Eat or Heat-N-Eat meal components — have become the centerpiece of modern meal solutions. Today’s time-starved, choice-driven consumer is not simply looking for a single entrée but for customizable meal bundles that satisfy the diverse tastes of households while reducing preparation time.

This paper explores the rise of mix & match meal components, analyzes data-driven shifts in consumer behavior, highlights innovative retail and restaurant adaptations, and provides insights from Steven Johnson, the Grocerant Guru®, on where the industry is headed.

 

The Consumer Context: Time, Taste, and Customization

·       Time Scarcity: Nearly 71% of consumers say convenience influences their food choices weekly (Datassential, 2024).

·       Personalization Pressure: Families demand variety — one meal option rarely pleases all. 63% of households now prefer “meal kits” or “bundle options” where each member can pick their own side or entrée (NPD Group, 2023).

·       Quality Over Quantity: Shoppers are trading traditional pantry-stocking for immediate, fresh solutions. Fresh prepared food sales in U.S. grocery retail surpassed $34.8 billion in 2024 (NielsenIQ).

As Johnson explains:

“Today’s consumer isn’t just buying dinner; they’re buying time, choice, and control. Grocerant food components empower families to create restaurant-quality meals at home without the labor of cooking.”

 

From Supermarkets to Smartphones: Where Grocerant Food Lives

The grocerant movement has blurred the lines between restaurants and retailers. Consumers can now curate meals across channels, often within the same day.

Grocery Stores

·       Wegmans: Features mix & match hot and cold bars where consumers build plates or purchase à la carte.

·       Whole Foods Market: Beyond salads and sushi, Whole Foods’ in-store restaurants and pub concepts drive evening traffic.

·       Trader Joe’s: Pre-portioned Heat-N-Eat entrées and sides enable quick “home-assembled” dinners.

Convenience Stores

·       Wawa & Sheetz: Leading the pack with customizable sandwiches, bowls, and breakfast-all-day menus designed for portability.

·       7-Eleven: Expanding beyond pizza and taquitos to include healthier bowls, salads, and fresh wraps.

Restaurants

·       Olive Garden’s “Buy One, Take One” model doubles as dinner tonight and Heat-N-Eat tomorrow.

·       Panera Bread: Offers “Family Feast” bundles where sides and mains can be mixed across categories.

·       Fast Casual Chains (e.g., Chipotle, Cava, Sweetgreen): Functionally serve as grocerants by letting customers bundle modular components into balanced meals.

Non-Traditional Channels

·       IKEA: Sells over $2 billion annually in fresh prepared meals, with Swedish meatballs as a cultural icon.

·       Walgreens & CVS: Increasingly integrating grab-and-go salads, sandwiches, and heatable meals.

·       Nordstrom & Macy’s: Using in-store restaurants and cafés to drive dwell time and incremental food revenue.

 

The Grocerant Marketing Advantage

Grocerant solutions succeed by tapping into the 5 P’s of Food Marketing developed by Foodservice Solutions®:

1.       Product – Fresh, flexible meal components (protein, sides, snacks).

2.       Packaging – Attractive, portable containers that maintain “restaurant-quality” appeal.

3.       Placement – Visibility across multiple touchpoints (deli counters, apps, delivery).

4.       Portion – Mix & match sizing for individuals or families.

5.       Price – Value-focused bundles versus traditional à la carte menus.

Johnson notes:

“The retailer who best integrates the 5 P’s creates not only food sales, but a food ecosystem — one where the consumer feels empowered to assemble their perfect meal, anytime, anywhere.”

 

Consumer Insights: Why Grocerant Food Wins

·       Impulse-Driven Behavior: With meal planning starting at 4 p.m., grocerant offerings capture last-minute purchase intent.

·       Portability: 54% of consumers say they eat at least one meal per week away from home but not in a restaurant (Technomic, 2024). Grocerant foods are designed to move.

·       Health & Wellness: Fresh prepared components allow for better portion control and dietary flexibility compared to traditional QSR combos.

·       Generational Shifts: Millennials and Gen Z are leading the demand for customization, with 72% saying they value “meal choice diversity” over traditional family-style dining (Hartman Group, 2023).

 

The Future of Mix & Match Meals

As consumer demand evolves, expect continued innovation:

·       AI-driven personalization in grocerant apps recommending bundles by household preferences.

·       Cross-channel loyalty programs rewarding bundled purchases (e.g., a salad at Whole Foods, dessert at Starbucks, entrée from Panera).

·       Packaging technology that improves reheating and maintains “plated quality” appeal.

·       Expansion into new retail verticals — furniture, bookstores, and even sporting goods stores testing grocerant integrations.

Johnson’s closing insight:

“The question is no longer ‘What’s for dinner?’ The question is, ‘Where will I curate tonight’s dinner from?’ Grocerant retailers who anticipate that shift will own the future of food.”

 

About Foodservice Solutions®

Foodservice Solutions®, led by Grocerant Guru® Steven Johnson, is a leading authority on grocerant trends, consumer food behavior, and retail food strategy. Through its proprietary Grocerant ScoreCards and the 5 P’s of Food Marketing, the firm has helped retailers, C-stores, restaurants, and non-traditional outlets evolve their offerings for the convenience-driven consumer.

Learn more at:
🌐 www.FoodserviceSolutions.us
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