Food habits and the increase in ready-to-eat and easy-to-prepare products,

This chapter analyses the inclination to consume ready to eat and easy to prepare (RTE & ETP) foods by means of a literature review of the studies conducted on consumer behaviour. The review highlights several key elements associated with the sphere of values and beliefs of individuals, such as curiosity to try new ways of eating, individualist food behaviour, and time pressure, which acts as a catalyst in the process of choosing RTE & ETP foods. From the perspective of supply emerges the importance of the qualitative characteristics of products and their market penetration, which contributes to loosening the normative barriers associated with consumption. The final section proposes a discussion on the explicative elements of the role that RTE & ETP foods assume in the scenario of consumptions in view of possible evolutions in demand.