U.S. adults cooking healthier at home

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WILMINGTON, Del., April 14 (UPI) -- U.S. consumers are cooking more often, experimenting with food and cooking at home to help save money and eat healthier, a survey indicates.

DuPont Teflon Be Cook Aware consumer survey of 1,000 U.S. adults, conducted by TNS in March, indicated 37 percent reported they were cooking more often, 26 percent were experimenting more with food, 23 percent said they were eating more natural or organic foods and 19 percent were eating more frozen food.

"Societal and economic shifts such as the fluctuating economy, combined with evolving national demographics and the introduction of new nutritional guidelines, are likely to have heightened people's awareness of the need to evolve eating and cooking behavior," Christa Kaiser, global business segment manager for Teflon non-stick coatings systems, said in a statement. "Consumers are living smarter and healthier, and having more fun in the process."

Seventy-three percent named price as a factor they consider more frequently when shopping, 48 percent said they were paying more attention to ingredients and 46 percent said they were paying more attention to nutritional information.

When it comes to food choices, 52 percent put fresh ingredients at the top of the list of what's important to them when buying food, 49 percent said they wanted less fat, 44 percent said less sugar and 44 percent said less salt.

Forty-three percent said they increased their use of coupons, 35 percent were buying fresh ingredients more often and 25 percent were participating in store loyalty programs.

No margin of error of was given.