Mothers with higher satisfaction in freezer functionality report approximately 1.8 times more mental comfort! Effective freezer use that reduces "effortful housework" is the key to improved mental performance (Menpa)

Panasonic Corporation conducted a survey titled "Survey on Mothers' Awareness of Meal Preparation During Summer Vacation" targeting 600 mothers nationwide who have children from kindergarten through high school.

In recent years, with the increasing number of dual-income households and diversified lifestyles, household chores are no longer evaluated solely by "time performance (Tai-pa)" but also by growing interest in "mental performance (Menpa)"—focusing on psychological well-being and relief from stress.

This survey revealed that 74.8% of mothers feel stress regarding meal preparation during summer vacation. Particularly during summer vacation, when children spend more time at home, repeated daily questions such as "What's for lunch today?" accumulate, increasing the burden of continuously planning and preparing meals. On the other hand, 90.5% of respondents reported that on days when they felt "I don't need to think about meal preparation today," they experienced greater mental comfort and were able to spend relaxed time with their children. This clearly shows that reducing the burden of meal preparation positively impacts family time and emotional well-being.

Highlights

- The holiday causing the most stress is "summer vacation (59.8%)." - During summer vacation, 74.8% of mothers feel pressure regarding meal preparation and cooking. - Household concerns are shifting from "Tai-pa" to "Menpa"—the most stressful aspect of meal preparation is "deciding what to cook and how to use ingredients" (44.7%). - When feeling overwhelmed with meal preparation, 80.0% of mothers reported changes in how they interact with their children. - Among mothers of younger children, 87.3% of kindergarten mothers and 85.3% of elementary school mothers reported changes in their interactions. - On days when they felt "I don't need to think about meal preparation today," 47.3% of mothers with kindergarten-aged children reported being able to spend relaxed time with their children. - The most helpful freezer feature for mental comfort during cooking is "large capacity allowing ample storage (58.0%)." - While bulk shopping and frozen foods are helpful, issues such as "freezer space being insufficient" remain. - Satisfaction with freezer functionality impacts mental comfort—mothers satisfied with their freezer functionality are approximately 1.8 times more likely to feel mental comfort compared to those who are not.

【Survey Overview】

● Survey name: "Survey on Mothers' Awareness of Meal Preparation During Summer Vacation" ● Survey area: Nationwide ● Survey period: Friday, May 22, 2026 – Tuesday, May 26, 2026 ● Survey method: Internet survey ● Target respondents: Mothers with children in kindergarten, elementary, middle, or high school ● Valid responses: 600

※ When citing survey results, please reference "survey by Panasonic."

※ Percentages in this report are rounded to the first decimal place, so they may not total exactly 100%.

The holiday causing the most stress is "summer vacation (59.8%)."

When asked about holidays causing stress or pressure in meal preparation and cooking, the most common response was "summer vacation (59.8%)," overwhelmingly higher than other holidays.

Q: Which holiday causes you the most stress or pressure regarding meal preparation and cooking? (n=600)

During summer vacation, 74.8% of mothers feel pressure regarding meal preparation and cooking.

Regarding meal preparation during summer vacation, 74.8% of respondents answered that they "feel pressure." Additionally, 65.4% reported that being asked by their children "What's for lunch today?" is mentally burdensome.

Q: How much pressure do you feel regarding meal preparation and cooking during summer vacation? (n=600)

Q: During summer vacation, do you feel that being asked by your child "What's for lunch today?" is mentally burdensome? (n=600)

Household concerns are shifting from "Tai-pa" to "Menpa"—the most stressful aspect of meal preparation is "deciding what to cook and how to use ingredients" (44.7%).

When asked about the most burdensome aspect of meal preparation and cooking, the top response was "deciding what to cook and how to use ingredients (44.7%)," significantly surpassing "time-consuming tasks (18.0%)," which focuses on efficiency.

Additionally, 65.2% of respondents reported that when meal preparation does not go well (e.g., poor planning, unused ingredients), it affects their subsequent mood and mental comfort. By child's school level, mothers of kindergarten children reported 71.4% (6.2 percentage points higher than the overall average), and mothers of elementary school children reported 72.7% (7.5 percentage points higher), indicating greater impact.

Q: What is the most burdensome aspect of meal preparation and cooking? (n=600)

Q: When meal preparation and cooking do not go well (e.g., poor planning, unused ingredients), does it affect your subsequent mood and mental comfort? (n=600)

When lacking mental comfort in household chores, 80.0% of mothers reported changes in how they interact with their children. Particularly, 87.3% of mothers of younger children (kindergarten) and 85.3% of elementary school mothers reported such changes.

When lacking mental comfort in household chores, 80.0% of mothers reported changes in how they interact with their children. Specifically, 87.3% of mothers of kindergarten children and 85.3% of elementary school mothers reported such changes—over 5 percentage points higher than the overall average—highlighting how lack of mental comfort impacts parenting.

Q: When you lack mental comfort in household chores, do you feel changes in how you interact with your children? (n=600)

On days when they felt "I don't need to think about meal preparation today," 47.3% of mothers with kindergarten-aged children reported being able to spend relaxed time with their children.

When asked how their mood and behavior change on days when they successfully utilize frozen meal stocks and feel "I don't need to think about meal preparation today," the most common response was "I feel more mentally comfortable (66.5%)."

By child's school level, 47.3% of mothers with kindergarten children reported being able to spend relaxed time with their children—the highest rate—decreasing as children grow older, with only 21.3% of high school mothers reporting the same. Conversely, "having personal time" was highest among high school mothers (44.0%), significantly surpassing kindergarten mothers (30.7%).

Q: On days when you successfully utilize frozen meal stocks and feel "I don't need to think about meal preparation today," how do your mood and behavior change? (n=600)

The most helpful freezer feature for mental comfort during cooking is "large capacity allowing ample storage (58.0%)." While bulk shopping and frozen foods are helpful, issues such as "freezer space being insufficient" remain.

When asked about meal preparation strategies that have been helpful, "bulk shopping (52.8%)" and "frozen foods (commercially available) (46.3%)" ranked highest. Regarding freezer features perceived as mentally helpful during cooking, "large capacity allowing ample storage" ranked highest at 58.0%, followed by "can be cut without thawing" at 45.7%.

On the other hand, 82.2% of respondents reported facing some difficulty with frozen storage. Issues included "bulk-purchased ingredients not fitting in the freezer (38.2%)" and "frozen meat, fish, or vegetables being too hard to cut, requiring microwave thawing before use (37.0%)." By school level, 46.0% of high school mothers reported "freezer being full and unable to fit more," exceeding the overall average (38.2%) by 7.8 percentage points. Additionally, 35.3% reported disappointment with taste or texture after thawing frozen ingredients—9.1 percentage points higher than the overall average (26.2%)—highlighting freezer capacity limitations and quality issues in households with growing children.

Q: Which meal preparation strategies have you found helpful? (Select all that apply.) (n=600)

Q: Which of the following freezer features do you find mentally helpful or beneficial during cooking? (Select all that apply.) (n=600)

Q: Which of the following have you experienced? (Select all that apply.) (n=600)

Satisfaction with freezer functionality impacts mental comfort—mothers satisfied with their freezer functionality are approximately 1.8 times more likely to feel mental comfort compared to those who are not.

Among mothers satisfied with their current freezer capacity and functionality, 60.9% reported having "mental comfort," whereas only 34.2% of those dissatisfied reported the same—revealing a 1.8 times difference in mental comfort based on satisfaction.

Additionally, when asked how frozen foods and freezer functionality help, the most common response overall was "time-saving (48.8%)," followed by "easier meal planning (44.3%)," confirming that freezer functionality contributes to saving time and effort. By school level, approximately 30.7% of kindergarten mothers reported "more time with children," significantly exceeding the overall average (19.7%), showing that enhanced freezer functionality helps create family time. High school mothers reported "cost savings" at 32.7%—6.2 percentage points higher than the overall average—indicating strong perceived cost benefits in households with growing children.

Q: How much mental comfort do you currently have in your daily life? (n=600)

Q: How do frozen foods and freezer functionality help you? (Select all that apply.) (n=600)

Summary

Meal preparation during summer vacation: Transition from "Tai-pa" to "Menpa (mental performance)"

This survey revealed that meal preparation during summer vacation is not merely a household chore burden, but the constant need to decide what to cook itself becomes a mental stressor for mothers. Particularly, the everyday interaction of being asked "What's for lunch today?" creates pressure, indicating an era where "Menpa" is increasingly important alongside "Tai-pa."

Conversely, utilizing bulk shopping, meal prepping, and frozen stocks to create days when "I don't need to think about meal preparation today" positively impacts time spent with children and mental comfort.

Changing stress and expectations regarding "freezing" by child's developmental stage (school level)

This survey revealed that stress related to meal preparation and expectations for freezer functionality change with the child's developmental stage.

【Mothers of young children (kindergarten and elementary school): Enhancing "Menpa" to maintain a calm parenting environment】

When meal planning fails, it directly impacts mood and mental comfort—71.4% of kindergarten mothers and 72.7% of elementary school mothers reported such impact. Over 80% reported that lack of mental comfort changes how they interact with their children. For mothers at this stage, creating "days when I don't need to think" through frozen stocks is a crucial strategy (47.3% of kindergarten mothers)—serving as a means to "enhance mental performance to maintain a calm parenting environment."

【Mothers of older children (middle and high school): "Tai-pa and cost savings" for household management and personal time】

With growing children, physical issues such as "bulk-purchased ingredients not fitting in the freezer (46.0% of high school mothers)" and "disappointment with taste/texture after thawing (35.3%)" become prominent. For these mothers, freezer functionality is strongly linked to "securing personal time (44.0%)" and "cost savings (32.7%)"—highlighting the need for "Tai-pa and cost savings to maintain household food quality and secure independent time for mothers."

Need for updated "freezer utilization" aligned with life stages

Survey results indicate that strategies for summer meal preparation are not uniform—shifting from "creating family time" to "efficient household management and securing personal time" as children grow. Flexible updates to freezer utilization practices tailored to each life stage are needed.

【Explanation by Cooking Columnist Yuria Yamamoto】 How to reduce stress from deciding "what to cook" in daily meal preparation

Daily meal preparation often causes the most stress when deciding "what to cook." However, having a refrigerator and freezer that are easy to use and provide confidence in stored items significantly reduces this burden.

Since refrigerators are used multiple times daily, small improvements in usability accumulate, making cooking easier and increasing mental comfort—ultimately transforming the quality of life.

Yuria Yamamoto Cooking columnist. Born and based in Osaka in 1986. Shares recipes using common ingredients on blogs and social media. Author of the "syunkon cafe meal" series and the essay book "Chatty Shy Person," with cumulative sales exceeding 8 million copies. Mother of three children.

In response to these findings, Panasonic introduces products that support reduced anxiety and stress in meal preparation and cooking through freezer functionalities that enable comfortable use of frozen foods and meal prepping.

Product Information

Freezer-refrigerator HY Series NR-F55HY3

A high-end model featuring a large-capacity freezer and advanced freezer functions such as "frost-suppressing freezing."

This refrigerator-freezer is packed with features and characteristics—such as "large capacity" and "long-lasting freshness"—that ranked high as ideal functions for relieving cooking-related mental stress in this survey, strongly supporting busy meal preparation during summer vacation.

Features

Large-capacity freezer for worry-free bulk shopping

A large-capacity freezer (approximately equivalent to 2.1 shopping baskets—※1) allows ample storage of increasing frozen foods and bulk-purchased items for summer vacation. This eliminates stress from a full freezer. With two deep-tiered drawers, food can be stored upright and organized, eliminating the need to search for items.

Frost-suppressing freezing for long-lasting freshness

"Frost-suppressing freezing," using new control technology, suppresses frost buildup by approximately 80% after three months (★※2), enabling long-term storage while preserving freshness.

"Sakutto Kireru" Partial freezing—freshness without freezing, no thawing required

Foods are stored at a slight freeze temperature of approximately -3°C, between freezing and chilling. Meat stays fresh for about 10–14 days and fish for about 7 days (※3). Since food is not fully frozen, no thawing is required—allowing direct cutting of fish or peeling thinly sliced pork—enabling use of only the needed amount.

Full-open drawers for visibility to the back

Freezer and vegetable compartment drawers open 100% (※4), providing clear visibility to the back. Easy in-and-out access makes storage stress-free, even when fully loaded, and helps prevent forgotten items.

Rapid freezing and cooling—freeze hot food immediately, saving time

Hot-cooked rice and meal preps can be frozen immediately while hot (※5), saving time. With commercial-grade rapid freezing (※6), freshness and texture are preserved (★). Even finely chopped vegetables that usually freeze into clumps can be stored in loose, separate pieces with rapid freezing. Freshly made bento boxes can quickly cool down when placed in the Cooling Assist Room.

Product name: Freezer-refrigerator HY Series

Model numbers: NR-F55HY3 / NR-F50HY3 / NR-F45HY3

Price: Open price

Product URL: https://panasonic.jp/reizo/products/NR-F55HY3.html

HY Series URL: https://panasonic.jp/reizo/HY-type.html

Panasonic Refrigerator URL: https://panasonic.jp/reizo/

★ Survey by Panasonic. Effects may vary depending on storage conditions, food type, state, quantity, and food condition before storage.

※1 Based on a basket with capacity of approximately 33L. Some food items may not fit depending on shape.

※2 Test conditions: 150g beef steak (thigh) in plastic pack stored for 90 days. Ambient temperature 25°C, no door opening (Panasonic measurement).

Test results: Comparison between NR-F608WPX (2022 model without frost-suppressing freezing) and NR-F60WX3 (with frost-suppressing freezing). Frost amount: NR-F608WPX: 10.85g, NR-F60WPX: 0.99g.

※3 Testing agency: Techno Science Co., Ltd. ● Test method: Ambient temperature 25°C, Partial setting at "medium" ● Target for freshness preservation: Partial compartment ● Target foods: Pork loin, pork belly, wrapped with plastic wrap ● Test result: Viable bacteria count below 107 after 14-day storage ● Test numbers: Pork loin (Report No.19021688-002), Pork belly (Report No.19021738-002) ● Target foods: Chicken thigh, ground beef, ground chicken, cooked meal preps (curry, meat sauce, nikujaga, simmered hijiki, kinpira burdock), uncooked prepared foods (hamburgers), packaging: meat and hamburgers wrapped with plastic wrap / others in sealed containers ● Test result: Viable bacteria count below 107 after 10-day storage ● Test numbers: Chicken thigh (Report No.19021723-002), ground beef (Report No.19021669-002), ground chicken (Report No.19021326-004), cooked meal preps (Report No.19021517-002), uncooked prepared foods (Report No.20020516-002) ● Target food: One whole mackerel, packaging: commercial tray (plastic wrap) ● Test result: K-value of mackerel at 17.7% after 7-day storage (initial value 11.3%). ● K-value is an indicator primarily for fish freshness—lower values indicate better freshness; generally, below 20% is considered suitable for raw consumption such as sashimi. ● Effects may vary depending on operating conditions, food type, state, and quantity. ● Does not extend expiration or consumption dates.

※4 Degree of drawer extension from refrigerator body.

※5 When storing warm food, aim to place it at around 70°C.

※6 Time to pass through maximum ice crystal formation zone (-1°C to -5°C): approximately 28 minutes. Test conditions: 150g beef steak (thigh) wrapped in plastic wrap, rapidly frozen on aluminum plate inside Cooling Assist Room, ambient temperature 25°C, no door opening (Panasonic measurement).