"The 20th century was full of unique dinners that once ruled home kitchens, only to be discarded into the compost pile of history. Ham-wrapped bananas and Jell-O salads have certainly rightfully "earned" their place as retro dishes we're glad disappeared, but some old dishes really did have positive attributes. In fact, some of these dishes have since been remembered through a nostalgic haze, with the hottest retro dish in the country currently being Hamburger Helper."
"Not to get all "'90s kids will remember," but folks over 35 probably lived through a time when the anthropomorphic glove hawking Hamburger Helper was everywhere. But the brand eventually disappeared into irrelevance as younger generations became interested in "new" ideas like cooking with fresh ingredients. It got to the point where Hamburger Helper was even dumped by General Mills in a sale back in 2022. Then, this past year, sales suddenly surged by nearly 15%, according to Today."
"It might not surprise you to learn that it's all about the price. This was the initial reason boxed foods like Hamburger Helper got popular in the first place, and with Americans still stinging from post-pandemic food inflation, over 50% of customers noted in an Associated Press survey they are stressed about food costs - which have gone up almost 30% since 2020, per NPR."
Hamburger Helper experienced a sudden sales resurgence of nearly 15% after years of decline and a 2022 sale by General Mills. Boxed convenience foods originally rose in popularity because they stretch grocery budgets and lower meal costs. Over 50% of customers reported stress about food costs in an Associated Press survey, and grocery prices have increased almost 30% since 2020, per NPR. Drought-driven reductions in U.S. cattle herds have pushed beef prices higher. Younger consumers who had favored fresh ingredients are increasingly embracing nostalgic, cost-saving packaged options.
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