The boxed meal helping Americans stay on budget
February 10, 2026
9 min
Full
207 of 300
February 10, 2026
The boxed meal helping Americans stay on budget
0:00 / 9:26
Excerpt playback isn’t available for this episode — use the full-episode link.
Search the Record
Moment search isn’t open for this episode yet
When it opens, you’ll be able to type any phrase and jump straight to the second it was said.
Nprs Planet Money Episodes Around February 10, 2026
Episode 207 of 300 — walk the feed in the order it was published.
9:26This episodeThe boxed meal helping Americans stay on budget
Summary
Food keeps getting more expensive, so how do shoppers respond? They change what they buy, right? It’s not just that cheaper foods get more popular. Shoppers are more nuanced than that. So, today on the show, we choose one classic meal that is tailor-made for this anxious economic moment. Why Hamburger Helper is poised to win 2026.<br /><br /><strong>Related episodes: </strong><br /><a href="https://www.npr.org/2024/01/25/1197961375/battle-grocery-shelf-space-niche-brands" target="_blank">How niche brands got into your local supermarket</a><br /><a href="https://www.npr.org/2026/01/07/nx-s1-5668494/can-you-trust-youre-getting-the-same-grocery-prices-as-someone-else" target="_blank">Can you trust you're getting the same grocery prices as someone else?</a><br /><a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/09/01/1120622740/hits-of-the-dips-songs-of-recessions-past" target="_blank">Hits of the Dips: Songs of recessions past</a><br /><br /><em>For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at </em><a href="http://plus.npr.org/" target="_blank"><em>plus.npr.org</em></a><em>.</em> <em>Fact-checking by </em><a href="https://www.npr.org/people/1268825622/sierra-juarez" target="_blank"><em>Sierra Juarez</em></a><em>. Music by </em><a href="https://dropelectric.bandcamp.com/" target="_blank"><em>Drop Electric</em></a><em>. Find us: </em><a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@planetmoney" target="_blank"><em>TikTok</em></a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/planetmoney/" target="_blank"><em>Instagram</em></a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/planetmoney" target="_blank"><em>Facebook</em></a>, <a href="https://www.npr.org/newsletter/money" target="_blank"><em>Newsletter</em></a><em>.</em><br /><br />See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.<br /><br /><a href="https://www.npr.org/about-npr/179878450/privacy-policy">NPR Privacy Policy</a>
Episode details and artwork are published by the show’s own feed. Sentinel plays short cited excerpts and links every episode back to its publisher.