CAG ConAgra Brands Inc

Call for Contestants at www.pam4you.com/grilling as Nation's Best Men & Women Grillers Challenged to Put Tongs to the Test in Second Annual PAM for Grilling $10,000 National Grilling Contest Hot dogs and hamburgers still rank as the No. 1 choice for what Americans plan to throw on the grill this summer ... but only by the leanest of margins. With grilling season just around the corner, 40 percent of Americans plan to use their skill and savvy at the grill to bring new, healthier foods --such as leaner meats and vegetables--to backyard cooking across the country, according to a new survey of American grilling habits conducted with more than 1,500 adults nationwide.(a) And that just begins to touch on the variety of tong-teasing fare Americans will grill up this summer. The survey--released to kick off PAM(R) for Grilling's second annual national grilling competition--shows that 90 percent of Americans now fire up their grills on a regular or seasonal basis, and one in three do so at least once a week. As outdoor grilling becomes more of an extension of the kitchen, it shouldn't be surprising that what America grills reflects the trends in what America eats. But the variety and diversity of new, unusual and healthful fare American grillers are warming up to is still remarkable. Fully 50 percent will include organic foods in what they grill, and more than 90 percent identify a host of ethnic foods and flavors they incorporate into their grilling--such as Italian, Southwestern, Creole, Tex Mex, Mexican, Asian, and Caribbean. Nearly a third of Americans now add fruit--such as pineapple, bananas, apples, peaches and plantains--to their zesty grilling mix. "We knew Americans loved to fire up their grills but we were amazed at how quickly they are warming to the variety of interesting foods that makes grilling so flavorful and fun," said Angela Joyner, marketing director, Grocery, ConAgra Foods Consumer Foods. "With so many grillers testing their tongs beyond traditional fare, we're seeing men and women of all ages take every opportunity to improve their skill at the grill. For a second straight year, we're challenging the nation's best to step up, as we search for the one person who best embodies the thrill and skill of grilling in 2006. Ultimately, we hope the competition, and our tips and tools will help grillers at all levels improve their prowess at one of America's favorite, and most appetizing, national pastimes," she continued. American's grilling habits becoming healthier Americans still enjoy cooking their traditional favorites but grilling healthier is here to stay. Fully four in 10 said they already or plan to grill healthier foods, such as lean meats and vegetables, more often than last year. -- For foods most typically grilled, 32 percent picked hamburgers and hot dogs as their top choice. -- But almost as many Americans, 28 percent, picked lean meats, such as chicken, pork tenderloin or lamb. -- For 26 percent, big fat juicy steaks still most frequently flipped their spatulas. -- Only eight percent picked ribs or anything else with a bone in it. When asked about their top choices for healthier grilling: -- For 67 percent of Americans, skinless chicken breasts were the top choice in healthier fare to fire their grill. -- Fresh vegetables were picked by 36 percent as their favorite healthier grilling choice, and nearly 80 percent said they cook vegetables on their grills, with the three most popular being onions, peppers and corn. -- And 35 percent picked pork tenderloin, another leaner meat, as top healthier grilling choice. One of the more interesting questions was what grillers considered their best secret weapons for grilling: -- The top choice, picked by 22 percent, was a "great recipe and quality ingredients" -- For 21 percent , it was "my long-handled, spring-loaded tongs" -- And 15 percent of those surveyed picked "my spatula" as best secret weapon. -- Also on the list of top secret weapons for great grilling were a: "tall cold drink," "meat thermometer," "BBQ brush for basting," and "non-stick grilling spray" But clean-up still annoying Keeping grills clean topped the survey's list of tips for more healthful grilling. However, while Americans are trying to keep their grill sparkling, cleaning up also appears to be the biggest pet peeve, and the one showing the biggest split between men and women, in practice though not opinion. More than twice as many men (44 percent) as women admitted to being the "backyard grilling slob" of the family, and an almost identical number of women (42 percent) agreed. Fortunately, there is an easy secret to fast clean-up that was identified by nearly four in 10 of those surveyed--non-stick grilling spray. PAM for Grilling is a favorite (and the most recognized by nine in 10 surveyed); it's designed to withstand higher temperatures, and keep meats and vegetables from sticking to grills, utensils and skewers--all adding up to a cleaner grill. While grilling trends indicate greater variety and healthier eating habits, some things never change--such as a griller's ego. Half of the respondents say they are better grillers than their spouse or partner, with two thirds of men believing they have more skills than their counterpart. Oddly enough, an almost identical number of women, about two thirds, said their grilling skills were better than or just as good as their male counterparts' ... clearly the math in this grilling equation isn't adding up. Open to men and women, The Most PAM-azing Griller 2006 contest will provide a more definitive judgment on that question, at least for 2006. The challenge--to find America's best backyard griller To help celebrate the upcoming launch of the grilling season, PAM for Grilling is calling on all enthusiastic backyard grillers to take part in its second annual national grilling contest--Battle of the Most PAM-azing Grillers 2006--that will raise not only their culinary confidence but also their hopes of winning the grand prize of $10,000, a customized Char-Broil (R)grill, and other prizes. To enter The Most PAM-azing Griller 2006 contest, grillers are required to be at least 18 years old and submit a 100-word essay on, "Why I should be crowned America's Most PAM-azing Griller" by May 31. Judges will choose 200 winning essays from contestants, and hold live "grill-offs" in 10 different cities: Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Columbus Des Moines, Jacksonville, Knoxville, San Antonio, Charleston, and Tampa; an additional 20 entrants will be selected to compete via video submission. From these live competitions and video submissions, 20 finalists will be chosen to compete in the finals, which will be held in New York City on Aug. 19. Contestants will prepare the same pre-selected recipes and be judged in four categories: skill and technique, confidence, enthusiasm and originality. For more information, visit www.pam4you.com/grilling. The contest is sponsored by Char-Broil and PAM for Grilling. "I was just a guy who grilled for his friends and family," said Ron Snider of San Antonio, the winner of last year's America's Most PAM-azing Grillers contest. "I never imagined I'd win the whole thing! The contest taught me at least one thing--there are a whole lot of great grillers out there with a lot of skill." About ConAgra Foods ConAgra Foods Inc. (NYSE:CAG) is one of North America's largest packaged food companies, serving grocery retailers, as well as restaurants and other foodservice establishments. Popular ConAgra Foods consumer brands include: Banquet, Chef Boyardee, Egg Beaters, Healthy Choice, Hebrew National, Hunt's, Marie Callender's, Orville Redenbacher's, PAM and many others. For more information, visit www.conagrafoods.com. (a) MarketTools Inc.'s Zoomerang conducted the survey, on behalf of PAM for Grilling, with a nationally representative sample of 1,526 Americans over the age of 18, from March 2-7, 2006 (margin-of-error of +/- 3 percentage points).