In the 1970s, Hamburger Helper became a staple on American dinner tables as families, strained by inflation and soaring beef prices, looked to turn a pound of ground beef into an entire meal.

These days, those same pressures are why the flavored pasta mix is coming to the rescue again.

While most food companies are seeing declines in consumer demand, sales of Hamburger Helper are up 14.5% in the year through August, getting an extra bump from its appearance on an episode of “The Bear” in June, according to the company that owns the brand, Eagle Foods.

It’s not just Hamburger Helper. Purchases of rice are up 7.5% this year. Distressed shoppers are also buying more cans of tuna, salmon and sardines. Sales of beans and boxes of macaroni and cheese are also strong, based on data from the re

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