WHAT'S IN STORE AT HOME SUPERMARKETS, STEALING A PAGE FROM FAST-FOOD RESTAURANTS, ARE CATERING TO FAMILIES THAT ARE PRESSED FOR TIME.

Byline: Candice Choi Staff Writer

Takeout tastes more like home cooking these days as busy families ditch fast-food lines for the widening array of prepared foods at supermarkets.

``It's ready, it's warm, it's great,'' said Long Beach mom Tricia Sandoval. ``We just eat on the counter and go.''

On any given day, Sandoval will make a pit stop at Vons to pick up some rotisserie chicken and mashed potatoes; the family gobbles the meal on the kitchen counter between soccer and baseball practice. It may not be homemade, but Sandoval said it feels a lot healthier than cruising through the local fast-food drive-through seven days a week.

It's so convenient that Sandoval doesn't recall the last time she cooked.

Sales of ready-to-eat meals grew significantly faster in the past year-and-a-half at Ralphs than in previous years, said spokesman Terry O'Neil, though he declined to release figures. Likewise, Albertsons this year redesigned stores to expand its service deli sections in response to consumer demands, said spokeswoman Lilia Rodriguez.

Ralphs even began offering entire turkey meal packages earlier this summer. Previously, that option was available only during the holidays. Upscale ``signature'' versions of the meal were also rolled out.

Ralphs earlier this year also started offering roasted chicken parts for those who don't want to buy an entire chicken.

``We're always looking for ways to expand this area to meet the demand,'' O'Neil said.

The proliferation of ready-to-eat meals is the grocery industry's attempt to lure diners away from fast-food chains, said Dave Heylen, spokesman for the California Grocers Association. The grocery industry realized it was losing out on a vast market of busy families in search of a quick fix for dinner, he said.

The lure of the prepared foods aisle is that it lets parents feed the entire family in one economical trip - without the guilt associated with fast food, said Roy Butterworth, a chef who writes and consults for the National Grocers Association.

Mea Lane, a mother who lives with her family in Woodland Hills, doesn't visit the local pizza joint as often since she started stopping in at places like Whole Foods and Costco.

``I just get a variety of items and let everyone pick and choose what they want - or they can skip it altogether if they're not home,'' she said.

With options like crustless tomato-pepper quiche and mushroom fritatta, Lane doesn't feel an ounce of guilt about picking up prepared meals so frequently.

Even major budget chains like Vons and Ralphs are offering everything from sushi to summer spring rolls. Ribs and macaroni and beef are just some of the expanded options at Ralphs in San Bernardino, said Michelle Mantooth, the store's service deli manager. When she started at Ralphs about 10 years ago, Mantooth said, the options were limited to finger foods like chicken strips and fried foods.

``It's good for working families who have to eat fast and run,'' she said.

Sales in prepared foods at Whole Foods Market have grown exponentially nationwide in the past few years, said spokeswoman Marci Frumkin, who declined to give specific numbers.

Since its opening about four years ago, the Whole Foods in Woodland Hills has redesigned its prepared foods section three times, with about 24 feet of additional shelf space being added for prepackaged foods.

The steady expansion is in response to the 40 percent growth in sales the prepared foods section experienced in the past two years, said store team leader Jon Loomis.

The grocer even sets out sample meal spreads to give shoppers ideas, he said. A sample display might feature Asian salmon with some side-dish vegetables that might go down well with the organic fish.

The choices in prepared foods today are a departure from the stale-looking dishes normally found behind the counter of the corner deli. Freshness and nutritional content are the draws of these goods now, Butterworth said.

``Retailers understand that consumers' eating habits are changing,'' Heylen said. The result is that grocers are starting to specialize in quasi-restaurant food, Butterworth said. ``It's a new market for them,'' he said. ``Supermarkets are learning to prepare highly sophisticated, catered meals.''

On top of the convenience, Butterworth said, a meal that might cost $15 at a restaurant might be found in the prepared food section for about half that price.

It's no wonder busy families are gobbling up prepared foods.

The Whole Foods in Woodland Hills will likely add a carving station to its prepared food section sometime this fall, Loomis said.

``A lot of people are in a hurry these days and don't have the time to fix their meals,'' Loomis said. ``This gives them an option rather than having to sit down at a restaurant or trying to cook on their own and buying the wrong ingredients.''

Candice Choi, [phone]

candice.choi(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

5 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Whole Foods Market employee Lorenzo Guzman hands an order of prepared food to Rebecca Goldbarb of Northridge.

Evan Yee/Staff Photographer

(2 -- color) With her busy lifestyle, Tricia Sandoval feeds her daughters Nikki and Matti with prepared foods from a supermarket.

Steven Georges/Staff Photographer

(3 -- 4 -- color) Top, a prepared meal is served at the Sandoval house. Since opening four years ago, the Whole Foods in Woodland Hills has added 24 feet of shelf space for prepared foods.

(5) Rose Johnson and her son, Ralph, pick out items from the food bar at the Whole Foods Market in Woodland Hills.

Evan Yee/Staff Photographer