According to a survey of 1,000 Americans, 9 out of 10 admitted they sniff food from the fridge to make sure it’s good to eat! This is just one of the findings from a survey conducted on behalf of Plastics Make it PossibleSM, an initiative sponsored by the plastics industries of the American Chemistry Council.
Is that General Tso Chicken in your fridge still good to eat?
• Two-thirds of Americans wish their food could tell them when it was ready to be thrown out, with another half wishing it could tell them when it was spoiled.
• Nearly six in ten Americans are only somewhat confident that they know how long cooked food will last in the fridge before it goes bad.
Stretch your food budget in a tough economy!
• Nearly two-thirds of Americans have changed their food consumption behavior because of the economy and 80 percent of Americans say their families make a point of eating leftovers to save money.
• 72 percent of Americans pack lunch for themselves or their children and 94 percent of Americans feel good when they store and reuse food rather than throwing it away.
• Women are more likely to eat leftovers for lunch, bring home leftovers from restaurants or parties and make large meals to extend over several days.
• Nearly two-thirds of Americans are finding ways to be thrifty with their food, doing everything from eating leftovers for lunch to more extreme measures such as rationing and eating food past the expiration date.
Americans are packing… lunch that is
• 72 percent of Americans are packing lunch for themselves or their children, with many using plastic containers and sandwich bags to do so.
• Parents with children under 18 in the household are more likely to be packing lunch than their child-free counterparts.
Leftovers make Americans feel good
• Nine in ten Americans report that they feel good when they store and reuse food instead of throwing it away.
• 80 percent of Americans say their family makes a point of eating leftovers to save money.
What’s cooking in the kitchen?
• Younger Americans are more likely than their older counterparts to name a movie featuring their cooking skills as “Dazed and Confused.”
• A third of Americans describe their fridge personality as “Fresh Foodies” with a fridge full of fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Another third of Americans define their fridge personality as “Pack Rats,” with a fridge that is overflowing.
Leftovers lead to love!
• One fourth of Americans said they would choose to have sex if they had more free time from eating leftovers.
• Parents are even more likely to take advantage of the free time; 33 percent said they would have sex.
• Twice as many Americans would have sex instead of going to the gym with their time saved from only cooking once a week.
Ring in portion control!
• Two-thirds of Americans will practice portion control when eating this holiday season, with another six in ten looking for reliable ways to do this.
Are you sharing or hoarding your holiday leftovers this year?
• Sharers edge out hoarders slightly in their approach to holiday leftovers, with women more likely to share.
Plastics voted MVP
• Three-quarters of Americans named plastics the MVP for holiday foods, when it comes to preparing, transporting, consuming and storing it.
• 93 percent of Americans report that they would miss plastics if there were none around for the holidays.
• Eight in ten Americans say that plastic food containers and wrap have made planning family meals easier.
