A.J. Riedel, Sr. Partner

(602)840-4948

ajr@4rmg.com

www.4rmg.com

www.twitter.com/AJRat4RMG

http://www.linkedin.com/in/ajriedel

MEAL PREP IN AMERICA: Changes in the Meal Preparation Habits and

Practices of HomeTrend Influentials

Background

This report answers these questions:

– What major changes are Americans making in the types of foods they

and their families are eating?

– What major changes are Americans making in the way they prepare

food?

– Are Americans spending more or less time preparing meals than they

were a year ago?

– Are they using their stovetops and ovens more or less often than they

did a year ago?

– Are Americans entertaining at home more or less often than they were

a year ago?

– Has the type of entertaining Americans are doing changed?

An online survey was conducted among Riedel Marketing Group’s

proprietary HomeTrend Influentials Panel in July 2012.

HomeTrend Influentials (HIPsters) pick up on new home-related

trends and embrace new home goods much sooner than the rest of

the U.S. population. As such, these influential consumers are the

bellwether for predicting changes in the behaviors, habits and

practices, and attitudes of mainstream Americans.

The trend toward healthier eating habits shows no sign of abating. HomeTrend Influentials continue to make changes to the way they prepare food.

49% 49% 44% 45%

51% 51% 56% 55%

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

2012 2011 2010 2009

Have you made any major changes in the way you prepare food in the past year or

so?

Yes No

Yes 32%

No 68%

Do you anticipate that you will be making any major changes in types of foods you

(and your family if you live in a household with other people) will be eating in the

next year or so?

HIPsters continue to make changes in the type of foods they eat because they want to eat healthier, prevent health problems, and establish healthy eating habits in their children.

23%

18%

13%

8%

8%

7%

5%

3%

3%

3%

8%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%

I want to eat healthier.

I am making a conscious effort to limit my exposure to things like pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics, as well as trans-fats, high fructose corn syrup, and preservatives that are …

I want to prevent health problems in the future by changing the way I eat now.

I or someone else in my household has a health problem such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, Rheumatoid Arthritis, or a heart condition that requires me to make …

I want my child/children to start learning healthy eating habits.

I am trying to save money.

I have gone back to work or am working more hours and do not have as much time to cook as I used to.

I or someone else in my household is trying to lose weight.

I or someone else in my household has food allergies.

I want to have more control over what my family eats.

Other

What is the single most important reason why you have made major changes in the types of foods you and your family are eating?

They are preparing more fresh fruits and vegetables, healthier, and organic foods and are replacing processed packaged foods with fresh foods.

80%

71%

55%

51%

43%

39%

33%

31%

27%

14%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%

More fresh fruits and vegetables

More "all natural" foods without preservatives and/or artificial colors/flavors

Less red meat and more fish and/or poultry

More organic foods

More "all natural" meats (e.g., no hormones, free range, grass fed, etc.)

Replaced packaged foods with fresh foods (e.g., used fresh tomatoes instead of spaghetti sauce)

More lower sodium foods

I try to buy packaged foods with fewer ingredients on the label

More low calorie foods

Other

What types of changes have you made?

And they are using new types of cookware, bakeware, kitchen tools/gadgets, and small appliances that they were not using before.

Yes 63%

No 37%

Have you started using any new food prep products that you were not using a year ago? (Nov. 2011)

Although they are changing the types of foods they are preparing, they are not changing their cooking methods…

19%

18%

6%

13%

76%

72%

76%

70%

4%

9%

18%

17%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Use your stovetop

Use your conventional oven

Use your microwave oven

Use your toaster oven

Are you using each of the following more often or less often than you did a year ago?

More often than a year ago About the same as a year ago Less often than a year ago

… Nor are they changing the amount of time they spend on food preparation.

25%

15%

60%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

More time

Less time

About the same amount of time

Are you spending more time, less time or about the same amount of time on food preparation than you were a year ago?

22%

4%

73%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

More time than now

Less time than now

No change

Looking ahead into next year, do you think you will be spending more or less time on food preparation than you do

now?

HIPsters who are spending more time on food prep are preparing more fresh foods that require more prep time and are cooking more from scratch.

50%

73%

67%

13%

53%

13%

17%

3%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

I/we are eating at home more because eating out is expensive

I am eating more fresh foods that take longer to prepare (i.e., wash, chop, etc.)

I am cooking from scratch more and it takes longer

I am on a special diet that requires more attention to my food

I want to cook more for my children/family because I want all of us to eat healthier

My kids are older and now I have more time

My work situation has allowed me more time to cook

Other

Why are you spending more time in food preparation?

Eating dinner together as a family is a long-standing priority for the majority of HIPsters.

6%

14%

14%

16%

13%

37%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%

Less than three days

Three days

Four days

Five days

Six days

Every day

In a typical week, on how many days do all the members of your household eat

dinner together?

12%

13%

74%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

More often now

Less often now

No change

Compared to a year ago, do all the members of your household eat dinner together more often now or less often

now?

HIPsters are eating more fruits and vegetables and are buying more of their fresh produce from local farms.

According to USDA-AMS Marketing Services Division, the number of operating farmers

markets has grown by 36% over the past few years.

41%

5%

55%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

More often

Less often

About the same

Are you shopping at a local fruit/vegetable stand or a farmer's

market more often or less often than you did a year or two ago?

Yes 72%

No 28%

Do you shop at a local fruit/vegetable stand or a farmer's market?

Yes 72%

No 28%

Are you and your family eating more fruits and vegetables than you did a couple of years ago?

They are also growing (or planning to grow) more of their own vegetables.

Yes 47%

No 53%

Did you or are you planning to plant a vegetable garden this year in your own backyard or in a

community garden?

Yes 73%

No 27%

Do you have any interest in planting a vegetable garden in the future either in your own backyard

or in a community garden?

A significant portion of HIPsters make it a priority to buy organic foods.

22%

15%

22%

30%

10%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35%

Completely disagree

Somewhat disagree

Neither agree nor disagree

Somewhat agree

Completely agree

How much do you agree with this statement: "It is a priority for me to buy fruits and vegetables

labeled "organic" even if they cost more money."

22%

18%

28%

24%

8%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30%

Completely disagree

Somewhat disagree

Neither agree nor disagree

Somewhat agree

Completely agree

What is your level of agreement with this statement: "It is a priority for me to buy

packaged foods labeled "organic" even if they cost more money."

80%

71%

55%

51%

43%

39%

33%

31%

27%

14%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

More fresh fruits and vegetables

More "all natural" foods without preservatives and/or artificial …

Less red meat and more fish and/or poultry

More organic foods

More "all natural" meats (e.g., no hormones, free range, grass fed, etc.)

Replaced packaged foods with fresh foods (e.g., used fresh tomatoes …

More lower sodium foods

I try to buy packaged foods with fewer ingredients on the label

More low calorie foods

Other

What types of changes have you made?

Although most HIPsters prefer to cook “from scratch”, many of them save time by using “speed scratch” cooking techniques. "Speed scratch" cooking involves using products that are aimed at saving the time or

effort normally required to prepare that meal from scratch. While the cook assembles the

ingredients, they may be pre-chopped, pre-mixed, pre-seasoned, etc.

Yes 65%

No 35%

Do you ever do "speed scratch" cooking?

31%

9%

60%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

"speed scratch" cooking more often

"speed scratch" cooking less often

"speed scratch" cooking about the same amount

Are you doing "speed scratch" cooking more or less often than you were a year

or two ago?

HIPsters tend to be informal in the type of entertaining they do. When they entertain, they serve a buffet style meal or do a barbecue.

21%

39%

30%

11%

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40% 45%

Serve a sit down or formal meal

Serve a meal buffet style

Prepare a barbecue

Other

What type of entertaining do you do MOST often?

Most HIPsters have not changed the amount or type of entertaining they are doing.

28%

16%

57%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

More often

Less often

About the same number of times

Are you entertaining at home more often, less often or about the same number of times a month than you did a year ago?

Yes 16%

No 84%

Has the type of entertaining (ie, sit down or formal meal, barbecue, etc.) changed from the type of entertaining you did a

year ago?

About the HomeTrend Influentials Panel

HomeTrend Influentials pick up on new home-related trends and embrace new home

goods much sooner than the rest of the U.S. population. (For example, as of June

2011, 76% of HIPsters own smart phones compared to an estimated 38% of the total

population.)

If HIPsters embrace a new product, very likely it is going to be embraced by

mainstream Americans within a couple of years. If HIPsters reject a new product, very

likely the product is not going to be embraced by mainstream Americans either.

HomeTrend Influentials are home owners who like their homes to look up-to-date and

like to keep their fingers on the pulse of what is new for the home. They are

constantly redecorating and making improvements to their homes. They enjoy talking

with their family, friends, and co-workers about what’s new for the home and they are

sought out by friends and family for advice on what to buy for their homes and what to

do to their homes. They are very active in community, civic, and political

activities. They readily try new food, household cleaning, laundry, and housewares

products that they see advertised or in stores and they eagerly recommend the

products that they really like to others.

HomeTrend Influentials are well educated, articulate, insightful, and eager to share

their opinions with manufacturers. They are savvy consumers.

HomeTrend Influentials participate in a variety of different research studies ranging

from e-mail surveys to in-home interviews to home-use tests to online click-through

surveys to focus groups, both traditional in-person and online.

http://www.4rmg.com/research-data-collection-and-analysis/hometrend-

influentials-panel/

About Riedel Marketing Group In business since 1991, Riedel Marketing Group (RMG) is a trusted provider of

authoritative market and consumer intelligence on the U.S. home goods and

housewares industries.

RMG helps housewares and home goods manufacturers make informed product and

marketing decisions that will lead to new product success.

RMG is the only market research company that specializes exclusively in the

housewares industry.

We have expertise in data collection and analysis.

– We have extensive experience with product concept tests, concept screening, market and

competitive assessments, home-use tests, and Internet-based research.

We tell you what the data means and what to do as a result.

– We answer not just the “what” questions but also the “so what” (what are the ramifications of

the data) and “now what” (what do we do as a result of this study) questions.

We have our own proprietary consumer panel.

– Our Market Research Online Community, the HomeTrend Influentials Panel, is a good

sample population because they are the bellwether for the mainstream population.

We have a proven track record and satisfied clients.

– We been providing outstanding service to housewares manufacturers, industrial design

firms, inventors, and industry trade associations for over 22 years.

A highly regarded marketing authority in the housewares

industry, the top forecaster of housewares trends, and an

advisor to many housewares companies.

AJ founded Riedel Marketing Group in 1991 to help

housewares manufacturers solve marketing problems and

develop strategies and plans to grow their business.

With over 25 years of marketing and market research

experience in total, A.J. has specialized in the housewares

and home goods industry for more than 20 years. Her

knowledge and understanding of the housewares industry

encompasses market dynamics, channels of distribution,

consumer behavior, and consumer trends.

After earning her MBA at UCLA, A.J. spent the early years of her marketing career in the

consumer package goods industry. She helped jump start Wheaties cereal sales at

General Mills, increased Grey Poupon sales at RJR Nabisco, and revitalized the air

cleaner business at Norelco/N.V. Philips.

Because of her extensive background marketing consumer products as a manager for

General Mills, RJR Nabisco, and Reebok, she is able to bring the tools and disciplines of

consumer package goods marketing to bear on the housewares industry.

A.J. has spoken at numerous industry functions and meetings and is the medias' "GO TO"

person for trends and insights in the housewares industry. She is frequently quoted in

national newspapers and magazines including the Chicago Tribune, the Los Angeles

Times, the Washington Post, the Boston Globe, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Wall Street

Journal, and industry trade publications.

About A.J. Riedel