Food, fireworks, family and fun—a few words that describe a typical Independence Day celebration in the US. As Americans begin to scrape off their grills and flock to grocery stores in preparation for the holiday this weekend, food and beverage manufacturers might be wondering which products consumers prefer to celebrate with.

According to a new national poll by Instantly, more than 43 percent of consumers named hamburgers as their top food choice while hotdogs came in second at 19 percent.

The results also show baked beans (51 percent), corn on the cob (60 percent) and potato salads (61 percent) are Americans’ top three favorite side dishes to eat during the holiday. When it comes to snacks, 50 percent of Americans chose Frito-Lay/Lay's as the chip brand they associate most with the Fourth of July. Instantly said a three-way tie of 11 percent each between popular chip brands KC Masterpiece, Kettle Chips and Doritos followed.

"Since so many people celebrate the Fourth of July with food, this holiday is huge for brands and retailers," said Andy Jolls, chief marketing officer at Instantly. "Our poll suggests that consumers strongly associate the Fourth with time-honored traditions, so marketers might be better off looking to the past for inspiration rather than going too outside the box." 

When it came to why consumers purchase certain items, 34 percent of respondents indicated traditions played their primary motivator. However, 35 percent said the biggest factor was getting the most amount of food for the lowest cost. Accordingly, 70 percent said they plan to purchase food items and supplies for the holiday at a Walmart or Target superstore, while only 18 percent said they would shop at a specialty store like Whole Foods or Trader Joe's.

Beyond the holiday, Instantly said consumers indicated that they would like to see more food items with flavors traditionally associated with the Fourth of July, such as Apple Pie (18 percent), BBQ (24 percent) and Cheeseburger (13 percent).

 To see the complete results of the study can be read on the Instantly website.