A simple plate often serves as a meal, whether it’s a salad, a pasta dish, or meat with a side. It is one of the quickest ways to stretch a budget when prices are high and families are watching every euro. The trend includes eating on a single plate and is already visible in weekday lunches. The Spanish Food Consumption Report for 2022, produced by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and still under verification, shows the trend taking hold both at home and beyond. The single-plate approach accounts for a notable share of meals, and its impact on the food industry is increasingly evident. In 2022, the share rose by 6.7 percent from the previous year, while dinners show that seven out of ten meals are consumed on a single plate, marking a 1.2 percent year-over-year increase.
The majority of those who agree with this trend describe it as comfort or speed, yet the share admitting to eating on a single plate continues to rise as a practical cost-saving method amid price increases. This behavior is simply rational for many consumers who aim to foresee and respond to crises, CPI rises, and wage uncertainty. Emilio Vizuete, Professor of Economics and Business at the University of Barcelona, notes that the 2008 economic crisis left Spaniards highly price-sensitive. When many people become “mileuristas,” private label brands and promotional offers become central to shopping choices, a pattern that endures today. [citation: Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación 2022 Informe de Consumo de Alimentos]
Carles Torrecilla, Marketing Professor at Esade, adds that geopolitical tensions have pushed consumers toward local products. The immediate consequence is a resurgence of home cooking, with a trend toward simplified one-plate dishes. Time constraints push people to rely on fewer, faster recipes, and local ingredients gain prominence as a result.
The single-plate phenomenon coincided with a drop in meals eaten at home by about 4.6 percent compared with the prior year, and a 6.6 percent decrease in overall food purchases. This translates to roughly 698.5 kilograms of food per person per year. Yet rising prices still drive higher per capita spending, up 3.5 percent from 2021, equating to about 87.36 euros more spent per person, with total annual expenditures around 2,582.09 euros per person on average.
Less soup, more sausage
The kitchen practices most affected by the shift include soups, creams, and purées, as well as fish-based preparations that rely on flour in sauces or batters. In the ministry’s report, meat dishes, vegetable-based dishes, and eggs prove to be the most resistant to change. The authors of the study emphasize that a single-dish trend can influence a wide range of recipes, with salads and spoon-based dishes expanding from starter roles or accompaniment to main courses, enriching them with varied ingredients and nutrients.
As home cooking becomes more common in a time of decreased household food consumption, potatoes and sausages show growth. Potatoes were used 7.5 percent more often than in 2021, while sausages rose by 5.7 percent. Other items declined by a range of 2.1 percent to 8.7 percent. Lentils, pasta, and fillet are among dishes increasingly prepared at home.
Changes in cooking methods
The crisis also reshapes cooking techniques. The oven remains a frequent method, but its higher energy use makes it a target for adjustments. Iron and raw or lightly cooked foods have gained prominence in Spanish kitchens. Oven-based preparations account for about 36.3 percent, while raw or minimally cooked dishes comprise around 30.8 percent. Boiling and steaming follow closely, at 29.6 percent. The shift reflects a practical emphasis on saving time and energy.
Fresh fruit, vegetables, and potatoes, along with milk and dairy products, continue to dominate the shopping cart. They represented 42.4 percent of the volume of food consumed in 2022. Per capita intake declined across nearly all categories, with a noticeable impact on fresh produce, meat, and fish. A drop beyond the average was seen in several dry goods, including sugar, flour, semolina, and oil, as well as wine beverages.
The 2022 data highlight how economic pressure shapes everyday choices, from what is cooked to how it is cooked, and how families balance value, nutrition, and convenience in a landscape of fluctuating prices and expectations. This snapshot helps explain the resilience of simple, affordable meals and the enduring appeal of flexible, one-plate dishes previously considered minor components of daily menus. [citation: Informe de Consumo de Alimentos 2022, Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación]