Smart dish: Survey of prepared meals, where will we pay less?

The field of ready-made meals, which developed in the 1950s in the United States, also conquered Europe. Even in Israel, the home cooking enthusiast, there is growth in an area that already includes many more spreads and schnitzels. Between the various networks

Dr. Hezi Gur Mizrahi

29/12/2021

Wednesday, 29 December 2021, 17:44 Updated: Thursday, 30 December 2021, 12:51

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In the dynamic and changing world in which we live, the term "housewife" has become almost empty of content. Despite outrageous wage gaps between men and years, more and more women are working for their livelihoods and families - and it seems that except for conservative sectors, the days are gone when the man goes to work in the morning, his wife takes care of the house and takes care of the children.

There may be readers who are smiling now in the face of the archaic description, but in retrospect - this is a situation that was part of our childhood landscape, not many years ago.

Bottom line: The kitchen that was once a female territory has become a focal point for all the occupants of the house. What's more, the cooking programs, the marketing chains in partnership with the chain's anchors, who present us with colorful cuisine all day long and tell us that each of us has a potential chef, have made the kitchen a magnet for the whole family in recent years.

Until we all become chefs, we will focus on your practice: a hot meal with a minimum of time and effort.

In 1953, ready-made meals were launched in the United States, in an act that was presented at the time when the woman was released ... meaning dishes that are sold cold, kept in the freezer or refrigerator, heated (first in the oven, then in the microwave that goes into every home) and served hot.

More than three decades ago, Osem launched the "hot dish" product in Israel, a product that quickly became a generic brand.

It was an innovation adopted by consumers although immediately categorized less as a home solution for everyday use, and more as a solution for a trip, reserve service and other situations where it is more difficult to enjoy "regular" food.

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Close to home: How much do ready-made meals cost in the neighborhood food chains? (Photo: Daniel Malakhovsky)

But this market has also changed and improved.

Our lifestyle and the constant war over the resource that is becoming more (literally) expensive day by day, time, forces us to find a solution that will try to combine two seemingly contradictory elements: speed (instant) and quality (from taste to nutritional values).

The change in consumption habits and lifestyles has led to the development of the ready-to-eat meal segment in the freezer and refrigerator not just overseas.

Here, too, this culture has begun to gain momentum in the last two years and we are seeing more and more pictures and names of famous chefs about products and dishes that are stored in the freezer.

The prepared meals include from an oven spread, through the worlds of meat substitutes such as corn schnitzel, the ready-made schnitzel series we know from brands like Chicken Tov and Mama Chicken, meat or fish patties and even Sunfrost ready-made soups: just warm and serve at home, in the office, or as a self-heating solution. The kids when we're at work.

In which marketing chain can we find the cheapest ready-made food basket? (Photo: Daniel Malakhovsky)

From Vienna with love: How much does it cost to make schnitzel at home?

Schnitzels, perhaps because they are loved by the Israeli consumer (and especially by children), but at the same time are perceived as a homemade meat dish, have become especially popular in this segment.

They are divided into different types and different levels - from processed chicken slices to clean chicken breast in different coatings and flavors.

A few minutes in the oven and you have a schnitzel ready to eat.

We checked in the marketing chains the average price for a real schnitzel from Mama Homemade Chicken 100% weighing 700 grams, the prices range from NIS 30 for packaging in the Victory chain to NIS 49.90 in the Alonit chain, but the average price in the retail chains per kilogram is NIS 43, and we have a kilogram of schnitzel Written on its packaging "real" and even "homemade".

The price is also friendly: Although the price of sliced ​​chicken breast per schnitzel costs us an average of NIS 35 per kilogram, in order to make schnitzels from it we need 2 eggs that cost NIS 1.90 and a pack of bread crumbs that costs NIS 3. In addition, schnitzel requires oil frying. We will consume about 150 ml of oil, which will cost us about NIS 1.50 - and here we have reached a cost of NIS 41.40 per kilogram of schnitzel before work and preparation, this is compared to NIS 43 per kilogram of semi-prepared schnitzel.

A negligible gap (without taking into account our "cost" of time) in favor of a product that every child can heat himself in the oven and for a week.

Prepared food survey: from cheap to expensive (Photo: Daniel Malakhovsky)

On kosher and veganism

As mentioned, the world of ready meals already includes many more spreaders and schnitzels. The best chefs "bring" us home dishes. For example, this year Strauss launched ready-made meals under the Delicious brand, with a series of products that start with pastries and pizzas, but continue with Asian dishes such as Indian-style curry rice or Malaysian-style noodles, alongside Italian dishes of varied pastas and rice or quinoa dishes - 6 minutes Of heating, and we have a meal.

Shlomi Koren, Director of Sales and Trade at Strauss-Elite, tells us that the field, which is in Israel at the beginning of its path, is not new in the world and is developing dynamically. According to him, Strauss carefully examined the segment and the way to launch it, and also did not compromise on quality and flavors along the way, since Israeli consumers are gourmets and if the products do not appeal to the Israeli palate, they will fail.

Therefore, he says: "There we put the main emphasis, ingredients, recipes and high production technologies, designed to address and lead the consumer culture in the field forward. I believe the solution will expand to other areas and even address consumers of food prepared for holiday and Saturday meals. Another advantage "What we presented in the products is that the dishes are without animal ingredients and are also suitable for vegans and vegetarians, as well as being highly kosher that suits the majority of the population."

Daily's Network.

Aimed at office workers who prefer fresh or homemade food over fast food (Photo: Chen Galili)

The pharma network that identified the need

Super-Pharm chain also identified the need for, it has developed and established a new sales segment, a new network called "Diili's" format of prepared food chain and independent format "store within a store", as we know huge networks abroad.

Online Diilis main pillar is actually a cafeteria that offers dishes prepared and combined, such as a main dish and side dishes, sandwiches and a variety of fresh foods and complementary.

most products are refrigerated cold and unlike from the segment of frozen products in supermarkets, branding and packaging convey the quality and represent an innovative line. Although it must be made regarding pricing: The prices are not worth every penny and are aimed in advance at the high segment of office workers. Although this is a more affordable price than that of lunch in a restaurant, if we compare to the cheaper chains of cafes, or to a "pita" alternative, we find that Dale's quality option is not Cheap at all.

We may never align with Europe and North America.

We are Israelis and naturally we are more family and homely (in general of course).

It's hard for us to give up home cooking - and even when it comes to daily household consumption, our first preference is for cooking home-cooked food that can be kept refrigerated and heated throughout the week.

And despite this reservation, the way for Western innovations is to assimilate among Israelis as well: we may not become the American bachelor from the movies, who apart from a refrigerator has only a coffee machine and microwave at home, but there is no doubt that in Israel the field will develop in the coming years.

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