Americans' Dining-Out Habits (Restaurants USA, November 2000)

November 2000 issue

Americans' Dining-Out Habits

Restaurants USA magazine's final issue was published in September 2002 but these archived articles remain available for our readers' convenience.

Restaurants USA, November 2000

How often do people eat out? An average of one out of five meals consumed by Americans — 4.2 meals per week — is prepared in a commercial setting, according to Meal Consumption Behavior — 2000,* a new National Restaurant Association report. An average of 14.4 meals per week are privately prepared, and the remaining 2.4 meals are skipped.
By Robert Ebbin

The typical American age 8 and older consumes an average of 4.2 commercially prepared meals per week, according to Meal Consumption Behavior — 2000, a recent report by the National Restaurant Association. That figure translates to more than 1 billion commercially prepared meals consumed per week and 53.5 billion per year.

Average annual consumption of commercially prepared meals has increased by roughly 15 billion meals since 1981, when an average of 3.7 meals per person, per week were consumed — an annual total of 38.4 billion meals. Between 1981 and 2000, average weekly consumption of privately prepared meals per person declined, while the average number of skipped meals per week increased.

Lunch in the lead

Lunch topped the list as the meal most likely to be commercially prepared, accounting for half of the typical individual's average commercial-meal consumption. The typical person consumes an average of 2.1 commercially prepared lunches per week, resulting in total annual consumption of 26.7 billion commercially prepared lunches.

Average weekly consumption per person of commercially prepared lunches remained unchanged compared with 1981; growth in the daypart basically followed population growth. However, average weekly commercially prepared meal consumption in both the breakfast and dinner dayparts increased.

Commercially prepared breakfast consumption rose from an average of 0.4 meals per week per person to 0.7, while averages for commercially prepared dinners rose from 1.2 meals per week to 1.4.

Gender inequality

Men are more likely than women to consume commercially prepared meals. According to the survey, men eat an average of 4.6 commercially prepared meals per week, compared with 3.8 for women. Roughly 22 percent of meals consumed by men are commercially prepared, compared with 18 percent for women. Men and women skip virtually the same number of meals per week — 2.5 for men and 2.4 for women. However, women consume more privately prepared meals, on average, than men — 14.8 versus 13.9.

More than one-quarter of males (27 percent) eat at least one commercially prepared breakfast per week, compared with 22.5 percent of women. In addition, men are slightly more likely than women to report eating at least one commercially prepared lunch or dinner per week.

Along with being more likely to eat out in general, a higher proportion of men than women report eating out frequently. For example, 12.8 percent of men report eating a commercially prepared lunch an average of six to seven times per week, compared with 8.5 percent of women.

The age and income factors

Age is a major factor influencing eating behavior. Males between the ages of 25 and 34 eat commercially prepared meals most frequently — an average of six times per week. Males between the ages of 18 and 34 average 5.8 commercially prepared meals per week. In contrast, women age 65 and older average only 3.1 commercially prepared meals per week. Females under age 18 eat an average of more than five commercially prepared meals per week, the highest average among females.

Income also is an important driver of commercially prepared meal consumption. Individuals with higher household incomes are generally more likely than those with lower incomes to dine out. Consumers with a household income of $75,000 or more eat an average of 4.9 commercially prepared meals per week, compared with 3.2 meals for those with an income of less than $15,000. Close to two-thirds of individuals with a household income of $75,000 or more report eating at least one commercially prepared lunch per week, compared with one out of five consumers with an income of less than $15,000.

* In spring 2000, the National Restaurant Association commissioned the NPD Group to survey consumers about where their meals were prepared and which meals, if any, were skipped during a seven-day period. Participants then recorded information about the number of meals they consumed that were privately prepared at home (or at an acquaintance's home), prepared commercially or skipped for the prior seven days for the five oldest members of their household who were age 8 and older.

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Robert Ebbin is a staff researcher at the National Restaurant Association.