Editor's note: This article appeared in the November 23, 2009, edition of Quirk's e-newsletter.

How a family celebrates Thanksgiving and what kind of a meal a family eats may be determined by its food lifestyle, that is, attitudes toward cooking, motivation for eating healthy, interest in obtaining information from food labels and opinions on fast food. When it comes to Thanksgiving dinner, Americans from all walks of life can agree that fresh turkey is preferable over frozen, but according to a study on holiday eating from New York research company Experian Simmons, that's where the similarities end. Whether you're a Weekend Cook and decide to dine out on Thanksgiving or a True Foodie and follow a gourmet recipe to a T, the study suggests that holiday eating is closely tied with overall eating habits, purchase behaviors and attitudes about food.

Experian Simmons defines five distinct food lifestyle segments: 

The Convenience and Ease segment (15 percent of total U.S. population) wants food that is fast, convenient and easy to prepare and/or eat. They show little interest in cooking, healthy eating or nutritional value. These people prefer picking up a prepared meal to spending time cooking at home. In a word, their relationship with food is summed up by functionality.

Reformed Traditionals (28 percent) have realized they should make healthier choices in food rather than letting convenience be the guiding force. They have no qualms about buying fresh food and have learned their ingredients should have nutritional value. Reformed Traditionals stay away from junk food, they watch their fat intake and are always looking for information about the ingredients and nutritional content of the food products they buy. Their relationship with food is characterized by healthy eating habits.

The Variety on a Budget (26 percent) segment is very busy and frequently eats on the run. They see frozen food as a convenient alternative to preparing meals with fresh ingredients and rarely plan ahead for their meals. This group expresses interest in gourmet food, as long as it fits in their budget. They have their own appreciation of the relationship between food and good health.

True Foodies (19 percent) are passionate about food and spend a lot of time cooking at home. They prefer to buy organic food, want their ingredients fresh and buy environmentally-friendly products. True Foodies tend to eat a variety of food, love to experiment with different cuisines and at the same time have adopted a healthy eating lifestyle. They have the most culinary expertise and have a love relationship with food.

Weekend Cooks (13 percent) have some interest in cooking, but are mostly sociable home chefs. When they can find some time in their busy schedule they like to cook for friends and/or family. For Weekend Cooks, meal preparation should be less formal and less time consuming. Weekend Cooks like to indulge in food that they crave without checking on calories or nutritional values. There is no conflict between tasty food and healthy food for them. Their relationship with food is more like a leisure activity in itself.

The five different lifestyle segments don't shop at the same places. Consumers in the Convenience and Ease segment are most likely to shop at Piggly Wiggly, Bi-Lo and Kroger; Variety on a Budget at Super Fresh, C-Town and Randall's; Reformed Traditionals at Pathmark, Smith's Food and Drug and Wegman's; True Foodies at Whole Foods, Trader Joe's and Vons; and Weekend Cooks at Walmart, Sav-A-Lot and H.E.B. Pantry. But regardless of the vendor, consumers in all segments choose fresh whole turkeys over frozen by a minimum of six percentage points.

Consumers in the Variety on a Budget segment are 18 percent less likely than average to have finalized their shopping list before going to the store and are 13 percent more likely to be swayed by coupons to try new food products. Therefore, this segment is a great target market for companies releasing a new product or in need of decreasing inventory.

True Foodies, on the other hand, are 49 percent more likely than the average American adult to refer to recipes when cooking, and many find recipes in food magazines. The top five magazines read or looked at by True Foodies are Gourmet, Bon Appetit, Food and Wine, Real Simple and Cooking Light.

When asked if they go to family restaurants and steak houses, 87 percent of Weekend Cooks said yes, making them the most likely to dine out on Thanksgiving. The top five family restaurants/steakhouses Weekend Cooks can be found dining at in high concentrations are Lone Star, Fuddrucker's, Shoney's, Outback Steakhouse and O'Charley's.