Contribution of Away-From-Home Foods to American Diet Quality

Family Economics and Nutrition Review, Winter, 1999

Average caloric intake declined from 1,876 calories per person per day in 1977-78 to 1,807 calories in 1987-88, then rose steadily to 2,043 calories in 1995 (table 3). The percentage of Americans age 2 and older who consumed the recommended energy allowance (REA) or more rose from 22 percent in 1987-88 to 31 percent in 1995. Even so, the proportion of adults in the United States who were considered overweight in 1988-94 was more than one in three (35 percent), an increase from one in four in 1976-80.

Table 3. Caloric intake and sources for Americans. 1977-95

                                    1977-78    1987-88     1989

                                               Calories

 Average caloric intake              1,876      1,807     1,837

                                               Percent

People consuming more than REA(2)      26         22        24
Portion of total calories:
  At home                              82         73        73
  Away from home(3)                    18         27        27
   0Restaurants                         3          5         7
    Fast foods                          3          8         9
    Schools(3)                          3          3         2
    Other public                        3          2         3
    Others                              6          9         7

                                    1990    1991    1994    1995

                                              Calories

Average caloric intake             1,853   1,883   2,006   2,043

                                              Percent

People consuming more than REA(2)     26      26      28      31
Portion of total calories:
  At home                             74      71      69      66
  Away from home(3)                   26      29      31      34
   0Restaurants                        6       6       8       8
    Fast foods                         9       9      11      12
    Schools(3)                         2       3       2       2
    Other public                       2       3       3       2
    Others                             8       9       7       9

(1) Ages 2 and older excluding pregnant and lactating women and those who did not provide complete dietary intake data.

(2) REA = Recommended energy allowance (per day).

(3) Away from home presents the aggregate of fast foods restaurants, schools other public places and others.

(4) Schools are classified as a separate category for children only; for adults, they are included in "others."

Compiled by Economic Research Service, USDA, from NFCS 1977-78, NFCS 1987-88, CSFII 1989-91, and CSFII 1994-95, first-day intake data.

Some of the observed increase in caloric intake may be due to increased eating out. Away-from-home food was eaten at 16 percent of all meals and snacks in 1977-78 and accounted for 18 percent of total caloric intake; in 1995, away-from-home food accounted for 27 percent of all meals and snacks and 34 percent of total caloric intake. These numbers suggest that when eating away from home, people eat either larger quantities or higher calorie foods -- or both -- than when eating at home.