What Does 2013 Hold for Home Cooks Around the Country? "Clean" Ingredients, Juicy Treats...and Bacteria!

SEATTLE, Jan. 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Allrecipes.com, the world's #1 digital food brand with more than one billion annual visits, partnered with Meredith women's lifestyle brands Better Homes and Gardens, Ladies' Home Journal, Family Circle, Eating Well, Fitness and Recipe.com to uncover the hottest food trends among home cooks. The report: The Measuring Cup Trend Report: What American Families are Cooking and Eating: 2013 Trends, available as a free download, concludes healthier eating will continue to be a top priority for home cooks, whether it's incorporating probiotics, "clean" ingredients, or more fruits and vegetables in everyday meals.

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"Partnering with America's largest women's lifestyle brands allowed Allrecipes to take an expanded glimpse into the shopping carts and kitchens of tens of millions of family-focused women," said Esmee Williams, vice president of Brand Marketing at Allrecipes. "In the coming year women will continue to place a heightened importance on making smarter food choices to influence their family's health and wellness through diet. We'll also see an increasing number of women rely on new technologies to simplify everyday meal planning, food shopping and cooking through the use of apps and sites on their smartphones and tablets, and connecting with their peers for mealtime inspiration on social sites such as Tumblr, Allrecipes and Pinterest."

The report also found that women are flexing their creative muscles in kitchen. Using whiskey as a flavoring is on the rise, while novelty cakes have taken the place of the traditional sweet treats. Home cooks continue to be mindful of saving money by recreating their favorite restaurant dishes at home rather than dining out.

Below is a summary of 2013 trends:

Trend #1: Good-for-You Bacteria Goes Mainstream
Probiotic foods will become conventional refrigerator staples as one-third of women have already "tried and like them." The biggest probiotic food fans are women ages 30 to 39, with 40% earning 100k+/year.

Trend #2: It's a Piece of Cake!
Instead of a traditional birthday or holiday cake, 35% of women are creating novelty cakes for special occasions and holiday gatherings (think: ice cream cake, fun shape, unusual flavor).

Trend #3: Dinner Staycation
Women continue to feel pinched by the economy. Survey respondents say they dined out less frequently in 2012 compared to a year ago (44%). However these same women still seek the variety and new flavors available through restaurant menus. To satisfy this craving, 61% of home cooks admit to having prepared a restaurant-inspired dish at home in the past year.

Trend #4: A Clean Sweep in the Kitchen
With more than 44% of home cooks trying to eat cleaner (no processed foods, more whole foods/vegetables), 21% eating organic foods, 29% cutting back on meat, and 48% eating more vegetables, the healthy habits of home cooks are sure to impact 2013. Leading the way in the clean-food frenzy are home cooks in the West and the younger generation (ages 18-29).

Trend #5: Shaken, Stirred or Seared—with Whiskey
Whiskey isn't just for cocktails anymore. The celebration of whisky/bourbon flavors is extending into home kitchens. Bourbon Balls, Bourbon Chicken, Bourbon Fudge, Bourbon Salmon, and Bourbon Meatballs were all among the fastest-moving recipe search terms in 2012.

Trend #6: First Eat with Your Eyes
The wildly popular photo and idea-sharing site, Pinterest, inspires 75% of women to try new dishes based on inspiration gathered from friends, family, brands, and—complete strangers! Allrecipes' most popular Pinterest boards include inspiration for those who feast with their eyes (Amazing Food Photos), plus ideas for feeding a family (Kids' Recipes).

Trend #7: Increasing App-etites
Mobile phones continue their rapid growth as essential grocery shopping companions for family-focused women. Shoppers are most excited about mobile's ease of use, the variety of app choices, and the ability to make mealtime/purchase decisions while in-store. Shoppers aged 39 and younger are the most likely to seek in-store meal inspiration using a mobile device.

Trend #8: The Juicy Details
More than 56% of women prepared a smoothie or squeezed fresh juice at home last year. The majority trying this juicy option say their main incentive is, "it's delicious" (73%), followed by "health benefits" (64%).

Download the full report including charts and graphs here: http://press.allrecipes.com/research/january-measuring-cup-report-2013-trends-2/

Methodology
Data provided is from online surveys of 4,587 Allrecipes and Meredith Women's Network's (MWN) community members. Surveys were fielded December 4-10, 2012. Results include findings from panel members from the "Meredith Knows Women" Panel who visited any of the MWN websites* within the past three months. For more information on the survey methodology such as response counts for each question or details on questions in order or format, please feel free to contact us.

*Includes bhg.com, familycircle.com, fitnessmagazine.com, lhj.com, midwestliving.com, more.com, parents.com, parents.com/familyfun-magazine, traditionalhome.com, eatingwell.com, edwrr.com

About Allrecipes
Allrecipes, the world's largest digital food brand, receives more than 1 billion annual visits from family-focused women who connect and inspire one another through photos, reviews, videos and blog posts. Since its launch in 1997, the Seattle-based social site has served as a dynamic, indispensable resource for cooks of all skill levels seeking trusted recipes, entertaining ideas, everyday and holiday meal solutions and practical cooking tips. Allrecipes is a global, multi platform brand providing insights into the lives of women everywhere based on activity from 18 websites, 18 mobile sites, 11 mobile apps, and 14 eBooks serving 23 countries in 12 languages. Allrecipes is part of Meredith Corporation (NYSE: MDP), the leading media and marketing company serving American women. For additional information regarding Meredith (NYSE: MDP), please visit www.meredith.com. For additional information regarding Allrecipes, please visit http://press.allrecipes.com.

About Meredith Corporation
Meredith Corporation is the leading media and marketing company serving American women.  Meredith features multiple well-known national brands – including Better Homes and Gardens, Parents, Allrecipes.com, Family Circle, Ladies' Home Journal, Fitness, More, American Baby, FamilyFun and EveryDay with Rachael Ray – along with local television brands in fast-growing markets.  Meredith is the industry leader in creating content in key consumer interest areas such as home, family, health and wellness and self-development. Meredith uses multiple distribution platforms – including print, television, online, mobile, tablets, and video – to give consumers content they desire and to deliver the messages of its advertising and marketing partners.

Additionally, Meredith uses its many assets to create powerful custom marketing solutions for many of the nation's top brands and companies. Meredith Xcelerated Marketing has significantly added to its capabilities in recent years through the acquisition of cutting-edge companies in digital, mobile, social, healthcare, database, and international marketing.  Most recently, Meredith made a strategic investment in London-based Iris Worldwide, a leader in experiential marketing.

A hallmark of Meredith's business model and financial profile is its ability to consistently generate substantial free cash flow by leveraging the strength of its multi-platform portfolio.  Meredith is committed to increasing Total Shareholder Return through dividend payments, share repurchases and strategic business investments.  Meredith has paid a dividend for 64 straight years and increased its dividend for 18 consecutive years.

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SOURCE Allrecipes.com