Dietary preferences of young adults are changing very rapidly due to developing lifestyles, job pressures, and living conditions. With growing workloads and limited time, many individuals are shifting away from traditional prepared meals and prefer ready-made or restaurant cuisine (Butt & Iqbal, 2024). The present study explored the food preferences of young adults in Lahore and their transformations from homemade food to ready-made food. Moreover, thoughts and perceptions were also explored about homemade food. Using an exploratory research design and a purposive sampling technique, a total of N=12 working males and Females from the city of Lahore were selected for in-depth interviews. An interview guide was generated based on questions about the transformation of consumer food preferences and the factors affecting the transformation of consumer food preferences. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize the participants, and thematic analysis was conducted to evaluate the findings. The outcomes of the study demonstrated that consumers’ food preferences are determined by a mix of physical and economic forces that directly affect their daily meal choices. Rising food costs, differences in income levels, the nature of one's career, and the ease of access to prepared meals in metropolitan environments are the main causes of the shift in working people's dietary choices.

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