Kraft Cheese National Survey Provides a Dad's-Eye View on Cooking, Confirms Dad's Increased Role in the Kitchen

GLENVIEW, Ill., Jan. 28, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Once upon a time, the kitchen was considered a mom's domain, but research shows that today's dads are taking a more active role in the kitchen, as well as with food shopping, menu planning and meal preparation. A national survey administered by Kraft Cheese reveals 96 percent of American dads are cooking for themselves or others every week.^*

As dads become more comfortable in the kitchen – 94 percent are confident in their cooking skills – they're also looking to expand their recipe repertoire. Dads surveyed expressed an interest in mixing up their menus, with nearly half (46 percent) saying they'd like to expand the recipes in their regular rotation. Dads also cited cheese as a key ingredient to making most meals better, second to fresh herbs.

"We understand that moms and dads approach meal time differently," says Barry Calpino, Vice President, Breakthrough Innovation, Kraft Foods. "Both are looking for inspiration, but not necessarily through the same channels or to the same end. We're excited to learn more about dads and how we can have some fun, and add some value, in their kitchens."

Key Findings
Kraft Cheese invited dads to share their opinions about what, why and how they are currently cooking.

• Dads Dig Dinner: When it comes to meal preference, an overwhelming 63 percent of dads enjoy cooking dinner; 22 percent prefer cooking breakfast and 7 percent prefer lunch.
• Appetite for Chicken: The most common meals in regular rotation are chicken (84 percent), pasta (74 percent), sandwiches (67 percent) and burgers (64 percent). 
• Daring Dads: More than half (58 percent) of dads surveyed say they are adventurous or spontaneous in the kitchen.
• Cheesy Goodness: According to the majority of dads, their favorite type of cheese to eat or cook with is Cheddar (24 percent) followed by Mozzarella (17 percent), American (10 percent) and Parmesan (10 percent).

Tech-Savvy Daddy
In addition to understanding what dads are cooking, Kraft Cheese is picking dads' brains to learn more about how they are coming up with recipes. While it's no surprise modern dads are using technology – 83 percent use technology for cooking or meal planning – the survey revealed that more than half (51 percent) use a computer to print out recipes and nearly one in three (29 percent) dads look up recipes on smartphones or tablets.

• American dads also hit up their social networks for ideas on what to cook. Nearly a quarter of dads (22 percent) ask for ideas from friends or people on their social networks and 20 percent use social media tools, such as Facebook and Instagram.

Straight from the Fathers' Mouths
Kraft Cheese will mingle with more tech-savvy dads at the second annual Dad 2.0 Summit in Houston, TX January 31 – February 2; Kraft Cheese is a Presenting Sponsor. As a sponsor at Dad 2.0, Kraft Cheese will engage with dad influencers, participate as a panelist in a brand forum and further learn about dads' food shopping and cooking habits. Additionally, Kraft Cheese has teamed up with Dadventurous blogger, Troy Pattee, to help dads become more adventurous in the kitchen and continue learning about this important audience.

For recipe inspiration, go to www.kraftcheese.com. To learn more about Troy Pattee, view his blog at www.dadventurous.com.   

ABOUT KRAFT FOODS GROUP
Kraft Foods Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: KRFT) is North America's fourth largest consumer packaged food and beverage company, with revenues of approximately $19 billion in 2011.  Launched as a public and independent company on Oct. 1, 2012, the new Kraft has the spirit of a startup and the soul of a powerhouse.  The company has an unrivaled portfolio of products in the beverages, cheese, refrigerated meals and grocery categories. Its iconic brands include Kraft, Maxwell House, Oscar Mayer, Planters and JELL-O. Kraft's 25,000 employees in the U.S. and Canada have a passion for making the foods and beverages people love. Kraft Foods Group is a member of the Standard & Poor's 500 index. For more information, visit www.kraft.com and www.facebook.com/kraft.

* Survey of 1,046 nationally representative American fathers, ages 18 and older, conducted by Kelton on behalf of Kraft Cheese between December 18 and December 27, 2012. The chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus, by more than 3 percentage points from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe represented by the sample. Options were rotated to avoid favorability.

Maggie Maskery
312-297-7442
[email protected]

Angela Wiggins
847-646-4538
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SOURCE Kraft Foods