Factor Reveals Almost Half of Americans Would Give Up Social Media Forever If It Meant Never Having to Plan Dinner Again

From emotional struggles to relationship strain, a new survey from ready-to-eat meal delivery service Factor unveils the hidden costs of daily dinner decisions – and what Americans would sacrifice to avoid it

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Social media may dominate our lives, but dinner decisions hold an even stronger grip. A new nationwide survey from Factor, America's leading ready-to-eat delivery service, reveals how mealtime stress is reshaping priorities for couples and families nationwide.

From relationship dynamics to daily decision fatigue, Factor’s findings spotlight just how much emotional and mental energy is spent answering the dreaded question, “What’s for dinner?” Forty-six percent of Americans admitted they would willingly ditch social media forever just to escape the hassle of planning meals*.

"A stress-free dinner is the ultimate love language,” said Leonard Hollander, Senior Principal of Culinary Innovation at Factor. “Whether you're dining in on Valentine's Day or enjoying a family dinner, Factor is taking the pressure off planning and putting the focus back on connection. Nothing kills the mood faster than ‘What's for dinner?’ With our delicious, chef-crafted meals, we’re making it easy to serve up romance and family time without the hassle."

Americans Are Ready to Sacrifice for Stress-Free Meals

Factor’s survey, conducted by Wakefield Research, found that dinner planning is one of the most stressful daily decisions for many adults. In fact, an impressive number of respondents (68%) say deciding what to eat is their biggest meal time challenge, with nearly half of couples (44%) struggling to come up with a plan most nights.

To escape this daily headache, Americans are willing to give up their most beloved habits and destination dreams or submit to their most dreaded chores:

• Cutting the Crutches: Almost half (46%) would delete social media forever, a quarter (25%) would give up their morning coffee, while a smaller number of respondents (21%) would cancel their streaming subscriptions.
• Bon Voyage, Vacay: Nearly half (44%) would rather have dinner planned, prepared, and served every night by someone else than take a dream vacay!
• DMV Over Dinnertime: Some adults (15%) even said they’d rather brave the DMV than plan a week’s worth of meals.

Dinner Decisions Are Also Breaking Relationships

• Food Fight!: The survey also uncovered how mealtime stress impacts relationships, with a quarter of couples (25%) getting in “food fights,” arguing about dinner one to two times per week.
• Step Aside, Flowers. Dinner Wins Valentine’s Day: It’s not just about saving time; it’s about shifting priorities. When asked about the perfect Valentine’s Day gift, over half of adults (53%) would rather have dinner covered for a month than receive flowers or chocolates.
• Snacks For Dinner? Been There: And when there’s no plan, couples are left frustrated, with women (62%) most likely to cobble together a meal from fridge leftovers, while men (55%) are more likely to order takeout.
• Foreplay? More Like “Four-Course Play”: Eliminating mealtime stress may just be the key to a healthy relationship—in the kitchen and the bedroom. In fact, more than half of respondents (53%) think that the hottest form of foreplay is not having to plan and cook dinner, and nearly half of adults (44%) —and over half of parents (55%) —admitted they would get intimate more often if their partner handled dinner.

Factor: The Ultimate Meal Planning Solution

Factor was created to eliminate the dinner decision dilemma altogether, so you don’t have to part with the things you love like your morning coffee, your nightly binge-watch—and your romantic partner. By delivering ready-made, chef-prepared meals in just two minutes, Factor takes care of the planning, shopping and cooking, so you don’t have to. With a rotating menu of dietitian-approved options, Factor allows busy individuals and couples to spend more time doing what they love and less time arguing over dinner.

For couples opting to stay in this Valentine’s Day, treat yourself to Factor’s decadent 2-course meal featuring Grilled Filet Mignon with Asiago Butter, White Cheddar-Scallion Mashed Potatoes with Broccolini & Toasted Garlic Butter and Vanilla Almond Cheesecake with Chocolate & Cherry Sauces. For more information, visit www.factormeals.com.

*Data from a survey conducted by Wakefield Research on behalf of Factor from December 10 to December 16, 2024, with a panel of 1,000 nationally representative US adults who are married or living as married.

About Factor

Factor is a fully-prepared meal delivery service that is taking a whole new approach to fresh-prepared food. The company’s weekly rotating menu of 40 weekly meals and 60+ add-on options, including smoothies, juices, snacks and more, are hand-crafted by gourmet chefs and optimized by dietitians. Factor delivers anywhere in the contiguous U.S. For more information, visit Factormeals.com.

About HelloFresh Group

The HelloFresh Group is a global food solutions group and the world's leading meal kit provider. The HelloFresh Group consists of eight brands that provide customers with high quality food and recipes for different meal occasions including HelloFresh, Green Chef, EveryPlate, Chefs Plate, Factor, Youfoodz, The Pets Table and Good Chop. The Company was founded in Berlin in November 2011 and operates in the USA, the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Australia, Austria, Switzerland, Canada, New Zealand, Sweden, France, Denmark, Norway, Italy, Ireland and Spain. In Q1 2024 HelloFresh Group delivered over 272 million meals globally. HelloFresh SE went public on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange in November 2017 and is currently traded on the MDAX (Mid-Cap German Stock Market Index). For more information, visit www.hellofreshgroup.com.