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What's Cafeteria Cool in School This Fall?New Lunchroom Monitor Survey Reveals What's Hot With Moms and Kids for Back to SchoolMADISON, WI -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 08/23/04 -- From what kids are most looking forward to this fall to what moms are packing and putting in lunches to start the school year, both kids and moms have a lot on their minds when it comes to going back to school. To help moms prepare for this year's school time season and give her an inside look at what matters most to her kids this fall, LUNCHABLES® lunch combinations issues its second installment of findings from the Lunchroom Monitor Survey, an extensive poll of 1,000 moms and 1,000 kids (ages 8-12) that revealed what is cool for school this fall.(1) At the Top of Her Class As the school bell starts to ring again, the LUNCHABLES® Lunchroom Monitor Survey found that moms and kids are on the same page. Moms know that her children look most forward to seeing friends (62% moms; 57% kids), starting a new grade or school (14% moms; 12% kids) and school activities (8% moms; 10% kids). But, she also gets extra credit for correctly calculating kids' cafeteria conversations. According to the Lunchroom Monitor Survey, moms think her children will most likely be discussing sports (25%), after-school activities (22%) and video games (17%), which is right on track with kids, who say top table talk will be about after-school activities (23%), sports (22%) and video games (18%). Since mom's intuition is serving her well, it's no surprise she also knows what lunchtime fare her kids favor. When asked what was most important to kids when it came to lunch, both moms and kids say taste (97% moms; 97% kids) and something new and different (54% moms; 55% kids). While it's no surprise that nutrition matters most to moms (nearly 60 percent claimed that nutrition is the most important factor to her when packing her child's lunch), 59 percent of children surveyed cited nutrition as an important factor when deciding what's for lunch. Moms may earn an honorary degree in knowing what her kids favor, but she needs to brush up on her study skills when it comes to delivering it. Almost 50 percent of moms say that when she packs a lunch for her children, she worries most that her kids won't eat it. Model Student "It's not surprising that kids want their lunches to taste good and be fun," says registered dietitian, Jodie Shield, M.Ed., R.D., who co-authored the "American Dietetic Association Guide to Healthy Eating for Kids: How Your Children Can Eat Smart from 5-12" (John Wiley, 2002). "Lunch is a time for kids to relax and re-fuel for the rest of the day, and lunch -- just like school subjects -- have to be fun and interesting to ensure kids will eat them." What is surprising to Shield, however, is that when kids were asked what is important to them in terms of buying or bringing their lunches, nearly 60 percent say nutrition, which was second to taste (97%). Since almost 60 percent of moms say that providing her kids with a lunch that is nutritious is her top priority, Shield says that back-to-school is the perfect time to reinforce healthy eating habits and teach kids how to make fun, tasty and well-balanced lunches for themselves. "If kids have a stake in what gets packed for lunch, they're more likely to eat it rather than trash or trade it," says Shield. She also points out that providing children with foods they think are fun also gives them a nice break from the school day. A Lunch That Makes the Grade To help pack lunches moms will favor and kids will savor, Shield offers the following tips to help deliver on the top lunch criteria of taste, nutrition and something new and different:
-- Well Dressed - While the Lunchroom Monitor Survey found that more than
30 percent of kids didn't want plain veggies in their lunch, it's a whole
new story when veggies can be dipped or dunked. According to the survey,
vegetables are second only to chicken nuggets when it comes to kids'
favorite foods to dunk in sauces. Shield suggests including low-fat yogurt
and salad dressings along with a lunchtime serving of fruit and vegetables.
-- Think Outside the Box - Not all pre-packaged lunches are created equal
and Shield, a mom and dietitian, gives LUNCHABLES® Fun Fuel(TM) high
marks because it features a variety of lunch options that are based on the
guidelines of the USDA Food Guide Pyramid, offering food choices from four
of the five food groups.
-- Lunchbox Liberation - Since kids want lunches that are new and
different, avoid getting boxed in by that lunchbox. Shield recommends
adding an element of surprise, such as substituting bread with a tortilla
wrap, to keep ordinary lunches fun and interesting.
From LUNCHABLES® Fun Fuel(TM) Pile-Ups and Wraps to Cracker Stackers(TM), LUNCHABLES® lunch combinations offers a wide variety of options that are sure to help moms please the pickiest of palates. Look for LUNCHABLES® Fun Fuel(TM) in the refrigerated section of grocery stores nationwide for an average retail price of $3.19. For more information on LUNCHABLES® lunch combinations, along with tips, tricks and games for kids, visit www.lunchables.com. Oscar Mayer Foods, headquartered in Madison, Wis., is a leading manufacturer of packaged luncheon meats, hot dogs, bacon, and LUNCHABLES® brand lunch combinations. The company is a division of Kraft Foods Global, Inc. (NYSE: KFT). (1) KRC Research, a full-service international market research firm, conducted telephone interviews with 1,000 moms (with children age 8-12) and 1,000 children (age 8-12), nationwide. All results are representative of the American population. All interviews were conducted in January and June 2004. Interviewers obtained permission to survey all children from a parent or adult guardian prior to commencing the interview. The margin of error for both samples is +/-3.1%. KRC Research is a wholly owned unit of the Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc., which is a publicly traded company (NYSE: IPG) headquartered in New York. KRC Research has offices in Washington, D.C., Boston and London. Contacts: | |
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