Let's Eat Out: Americans Weigh Taste, Convenience, and Nutrition
by Hayden Stewart , Noel Blisard, and Dean Jolliffe Economic
Information Bulletin No. (EIB-19) 16 pp, October 2006 Whether
eating out or buying carry-out, Americans are consuming more and
more of their calories from full-service and fast-food
restaurant fare. The share of daily caloric intake from food
purchased and/or eaten away from home increased from 18 percent
to 32 percent between the late 1970s and the middle 1990s, and
the away-from-home market grew to account for about half of
total food expenditures in 2004, up from 34 percent in 1974.
Analysis of a survey of U.S. consumers indicates that
respondents want convenience and an enjoyable dining experience,
but the desire for health also plays a role as does diet-health
knowledge. Keywords: Consumer preferences, diet-health
knowledge, eating out, food away from home, imperfect
information, restaurant foods, rules of thumb In this
publication... Need help with PDFs?