Move Over Low Carb Diets, Mashed Potatoes are Back!

New Study Finds Americans Can't Live Without Their Beloved Comfort Foods -
Crowns Mashed Potatoes as America 's Favorite

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J., Nov. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Despite the low carb diet
craze, the vast majority of Americans have not stopped eating the comfort food
dishes they love, according to the national Country Crock(TM) Side Dishes
Comfort Food Survey, released today.  Country Crock(TM) Side Dishes conducted
the survey to gauge Americans' emotional connection to comfort foods as the
winter season approaches.

A whopping 83% of Americans say that a low carb diet (or any diet for that
matter) has not deterred them from enjoying their favorite comfort foods.
Three in ten, who report eating more comfort foods than they did five years
ago, boldly declare that the number one reason is because they just can't live
without them.

Hold the Bacon: Mashed Potatoes is the Way to Go

According to the survey, America 's favorite comfort foods include a
combination of wholesome and sweet fare.  Mashed potatoes beat out meatloaf,
cinnamon buns, and casserole to take honors as America 's number one favorite
comfort food.  Why are mashed potatoes so popular?  Mom is the person to
thank.  One in four respondents (27%) agree that mashed potatoes are the food
most reminiscent of mom.  In addition, it seems that mashed potatoes have some
soothing qualities - nearly a fifth (18%) turn to them when they are most
stressed.

"For many Americans, comfort foods trigger memories of childhood and bring
us back to a time when someone took care of us," said Brian Wansink, Professor
of Marketing and of Nutritional Science at the University of Illinois .
"Comfort foods connote a sense of security and warmth that Americans seem to
embrace throughout their lives.  These feelings tend to override diet trends
and therefore the popularity of comfort foods, such as mashed potatoes and
macaroni & cheese, never diminishes."

Men vs. Women

When it comes to comfort food, there's no conformity between men and
women.  More women (39%) than men (24%) describe comfort food as a stress
reliever.  Furthermore, 53% of women surveyed say they have increased their
comfort food consumption because of stress.  Women are more inclined to eat
comfort foods when they are under stress (36% vs. 19%) while men are more
inclined to eat comfort foods to put them in a good mood (37% vs. 27%).

Men and women also differ in specific comfort food preferences.  Men tend
to gravitate towards warm, hearty foods (one in four males prefers meatloaf as
his favorite comfort food), while women instead prefer comfort foods that are
sweet (27% of women say they munch on cinnamon buns when they are the most
stressed).

Tis' the Season for Comfort

When the weather cools, Americans are more likely to consume comfort
foods.  A majority of those surveyed (51%) report that winter is the time of
year when they consume the largest amounts of comfort foods.  Holidays (29%)
are the second busiest season for comfort-food consumption.  In addition, many
Americans (32%) say they eat comfort foods to put them in a good mood all year
round.

Ain't No Stopping Them

The survey found that Americans are craving comfort foods as much as they
are eating them.  When asked how often they crave and eat comfort foods,
almost half of the respondents (51%) confess to craving comfort foods at least
one to three times a week, while 58% say they eat comfort foods just as often.
Thirteen percent of Americans declare they crave comfort foods every day,
while 11% admit to enjoying a daily dose of comfort foods.

Strong Regional Preferences

People who live on the coast are more inclined to eat comfort foods when
they are under stress.  Twice as many Americans from those regions (57%
Northeast; 48% West) eat comfort foods when they are stressed than those
living in the South or North Central U.S. (24% South; 23% North Central).
However, when it comes to mood food, geography depicts strong differences.
More Americans from the Northeast and South (22% for each) than the West (14%)
and North Central (16%) reach for comfort food to put them in a good mood.

Americans Elect Most Comforting Personality

She may be the queen of daytime but she's also the queen of comfort.  Sure
enough, Americans name talk show queen Oprah Winfrey the number one most
comforting personality.

The survey was conducted to introduce the line of COUNTRY CROCK(TM) fully
prepared, chilled side dishes that are ready to heat and serve in five
minutes, as part of a well-balanced meal.  The new side dishes are available
in four popular comfort food recipes including Homestyle Mashed Potatoes,
Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Elbow Macaroni & Cheese, and Chicken Rice with Herbs
and come packaged in decorative country-style containers.

Survey Methodology

Data for the Country Crock(TM) Side Dishes Comfort Food Survey was
collected by International Communications Research between October 15-19, 2004
with 1006 interviews conducted.  The final results are weighted to the US
population of adults age 18+.   The margin of error for this sample size
is + or - 3.1% at the 95% confidence interval.

Unilever is one of the world's largest consumer products companies with
annual sales of approximately $48 billion in 2003. It produces and markets a
wide range of foods and home and personal care products. Unilever operates in
around 100 countries around the globe and employs approximately 250,000
people.

SOURCE Unilever