December 22, 2011—What breakfast item would students most want to see prepared in a “dream kitchen” in their school cafeteria? Pancakes top the list, according to a survey of more than 2,000 3rd-, 4th- and 5th-graders who responded to a recent online Dream Kitchen® survey conducted by youth marketing firm Y-Pulse, LLC. Pancakes were selected as the favorite breakfast item over waffles by a 2-to-1 margin. Chocolate chip was the favorite flavor of the majority of respondents, followed by blueberry.
When it comes to toppings, about half of the pancake fans chose traditional maple syrup as their syrup variety of choice, followed by blueberry. A few respondents said that they would like “every kind” of syrup available, including such flavors as apricot, pineapple and strawberry.
Eggs—especially scrambled—was another popular breakfast item among the respondents, selected well ahead of cereal and rolls. Bacon was the most popular meat item in the survey. Indeed, respondents indicated they would like to have bacon on the menu not only for breakfast, but for lunch in menu items such as sandwiches, burgers and salads.
While the top wish list items were traditional breakfast favorites, the survey results also reveal that kids ages 8 to 11 are interested in bolder and ethnic flavors. Such results also demonstrate this generation’s food exposure and knowledge. For example, one respondent mentioned chorizo sausage as a breakfast burrito ingredient, while others said that they enjoy crêpes.
“Foodservice operators looking to improve their breakfast operations or best reach their patrons can deliver on some of those demands… with offerings that are classic in form yet presented in a way that relays freshness and taste,” says Sharon Olson, co-founder of Y-Pulse.
For more information about Y-Pulse, LLC, visit www.ypulse.org.
Y-Pulse, LLC