Post-Holiday Chores: 1 in 2 People Say "Cooking Meals" is a Drag. 60% Desire Simple Recipes That Can Be Made "Without Thinking" More Than "Time-Saving."
Nadia Inc.'s cooking media "Nadia" conducted a survey revealing that "meal preparation" is the most bothersome chore after holidays for nearly half of respondents. The survey highlighted a strong preference for "simple recipes that are easy to imagine the steps" over mere time-saving, and a focus on economy. Nadia is responding to this demand by featuring "Zubora Meshi" (lazy meals) recipes that are both easy and satisfying.
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- 📰 Published: May 2, 2026 at 01:00
- 🔍 Collected: May 1, 2026 at 16:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 1, 2026 at 16:57 (25 min after Collected)
Nadia Inc. (Minato-ku, Tokyo / Representative Director and President Yoshiki Katsuragi), which operates the cooking media "Nadia" (URL: https://oceans-nadia.com/), conducted a survey (※1) on "post-holiday household chore concerns."
(※1) Survey period: April 27, 2026 - May 1, 2026 / Number of respondents: 1,232 Nadia users (varies by question) / Survey organization: In-house survey / Target audience: Nadia registered users / Survey method: Recruitment of survey responses via email newsletter.
"Meal preparation" is the most "bothersome" chore after the holidays, surpassing cleaning and laundry.
When asked about chores that feel like a drag when returning to normal life after the holidays, "meal preparation" was the most frequent answer at 47.4%. This was followed by "room cleaning (39.4%)" and "water area cleaning (31.2%)."
Compared to other chores, "meal preparation" is required at a fixed time every day. The cycle of "not being able to rest" even when tired, for oneself and family, seems to be a particularly heavy burden on mind and body after the holidays.
"Simplicity of steps" lowers the hurdle for cooking. Over 60% prioritize "ease of imagining the process."
When asked about cooking conditions that make one think, "I might actually make this" even on days when motivation is low, "simple steps (60.6%)" was the most common result. More than elements like "can be completed only with a microwave (42.3%)" or "completed within 10 minutes (42.2%)," the clarity of being able to easily imagine the steps at a glance and fewer steps seem to be a major deciding factor in thinking, "I can do this."
Furthermore, 51.5%, or more than half, responded that they are more "budget-conscious" after the holidays than usual. With financial concerns about covering expenses during the holidays, the need to balance "ease" and "economy" seems to be a keyword for home cooking after the holidays.
Savior for post-holiday fatigue! Nadia's ultimate recommended "Zubora Meshi" recipes.
Want to cook easily and economically? Nadia features many "Zubora Meshi" recipes that you can quickly and effortlessly make even on days when you "don't feel like standing in the kitchen" after the holidays.
Among them, we pick up and introduce satisfying recipes that prioritize the "simplicity of steps," which was overwhelmingly ranked #1 in the survey.
Can be made without a frying pan!
With simple ingredients ♪
Microwave Mapo Atsuage Soboro by Marumi Kitchen
https://oceans-nadia.com/user/1439327/recipe/523008
Quick to make, and satisfying!
A guilty pleasure combination of ramen & rice.
[Seen 1.2 million times] Undoubtedly delicious "Salt Ramen Ojya" by freelance chef Furao-san
https://oceans-nadia.com/user/1164271/recipe/523152
No difficult steps!
Just put it on a pack of rice and microwave it!
Easy with packed rice ♡ "Speed Crab Omelet Donburi" that can be made without a knife by Teikuhikou Kitchen (Chef)
https://oceans-nadia.com/user/860418/recipe/523018
Nadia has a special feature page called "Everything You Can Make! The Best Zubora Meshi" that collects such "Zubora Meshi" recipes. There are plenty of recipes that will be a savior for post-holiday fatigue. Please check it out.
Click here for the "Zubora Meshi" special feature page.
About the cooking media "Nadia"
Nadia is a cooking media where delicious recipes from professional chefs gather. Currently, 20 million people use it monthly. The recipes posted on Nadia are by over 1,000 professional chefs, cooking researchers, and cooking influencers (Instagrammers) who have passed a unique screening process and are active in TV, publications, Instagram, etc., commonly known as "Nadia Artists." Their high-quality recipes are popular for being "easy to make and delicious."
As of April 2026, the total number of followers of Nadia Artists reached approximately 81 million, and their influencer power is attracting attention from various food, cooking utensil, home appliance manufacturers, and publishers.
Furthermore, Nadia also publishes under three labels: "Nadia Artist Series" from Takarajimasha Co., Ltd., "Nadia Books" from One Publishing Co., Ltd., and "Nadia Collection" from KADOKAWA Co., Ltd. starting in 2023.