Food Away From Home: America's Changing Food Choices

Volume 22, Issue 1, released September 1999

Upfront Agricultural Economist Mark D. Jekanowski focuses on food away from home. Upfront and contents, 34 kb Quality of Children's Diets At and Away From Home: 1994-96 The popularity of eating out is a growing threat to the nutritional quality of children's diets. American kids typically eat too much fat, saturated fat, and sodium, and not enough fiber and calcium. This trend is exacerbated by away-from-home foods, which are even higher in fat, saturated fat, and sodium and lower in cholesterol, fiber, calcium, and iron than foods eaten at home. For more information, contact: Biing-Hwan Lin, 202-694-5458, blin@ERS.USDA.gov. Quality of Children's Diets At and Away From Home: 1994-96, 80 kb Causes and Consequences of Fast Food Sales Growth With today's hectic lifestyles, time-saving products are increasingly in demand. Americans are spending more money on food away from home, particularly fast foods. These changes in consumer spending reverberate throughout the agricultural and foodservice industries. For more information, contact: Mark D. Jekanowski, 202-694-5394, markj@ERS.USDA.gov. Causes and Consequences of Fast Food Sales Growth, 72 kb Minimum Wage Increase Would Have Greater Impact on Food System Than on Overall Economy Increasing the minimum wage would affect the food system more than the overall economy. The food system provides a large number of jobs, particularly entry-level jobs for workers with few skills or experience. Because of this large share of low-wage, low-skill jobs, an increase in the minimum wage would disproportionately affect the employers and workers in the food system. For more information, contact: Karen Hamrick, 202-694-5426, khamrick@ERS.USDA.gov. Minimum Wage Increase Would Have Greater Impact on Food System Than on Overall Economy, 77 kb Minimum Wage Increases Have Little Effect on Prices of Food Away From Home Employment in eating and drinking places has steadily increased over the past two decades as Americans have purchased more away-from-home foods. As one of the biggest employers of minimum-wage workers, eating and drinking places could increase food prices in response to an increase in the minimum wage. Yet analysis of data shows that while a higher minimum wage might affect food prices, any effect would likely be minimal. For more information, contact: Chinkook Lee, 202-694-5354, chinlee@ERS.USDA.gov. Minimum Wage Increases Have Little Effect on Prices of Food Away From Home, 67 kb Grocery Industry Courts Time-Pressed Consumers with Home Meal Replacements Rising incomes, a growing tendency for both spouses to work outside the home, and tightening constraints on family time have increased the demand for meals requiring little or no preparation at home. As Americans spend more money on prepared meals, supermarkets have attempted to regain some of the dollars lost to the foodservice industry by marketing fully prepared meals intended for home consumption--Home Meal Replacements (HMR's). For more information, contact: Mark D. Jekanowski, 202-694-5394, markj@ERS.USDA.gov. Grocery Industry Courts Time-Pressed Consumers with Home Meal Replacements, 51 kb Changing Food Consumption Patterns: Their Effect on the U.S. Food System, 1972-92 Americans are changing the way they eat, thanks to new lifestyles, shifting demographics, and growing concerns about nutrition and health. In response to these changes, the food system may be shifting from volume production for general consumer markets to marketing and production for specialized markets. For more information, contact: Gerald Schluter, 202-694-5395, schluter@ERS.USDA.gov. Changing Food Consumption Patterns: Their Effect on the U.S. Food System, 1972-92, 38 kb Food-Assistance Expenditures Fall for Second Year A strong economy combined with stricter food stamp eligibility rules in fiscal year 1998 led to fewer people receiving Federal food assistance and a resulting decrease in food-assistance program costs. Federal Government expenditures fell 6 percent from the previous year to $33.6 billion; prior to fiscal year 1997, annual food-assistance program expenditures had increased for 14 consecutive years. For more information, contact: Victor Oliveira, 202-694-5434, victoro@ERS.USDA.gov. Food-Assistance Expenditures Fall for Second Year, 79 kb Characteristics of Mid-Atlantic Food Banks and Food Rescue Organizations One in 10 American households in 1995 was unsure of the availability of regular meals, while 4 percent of households were hungry because of inadequate resources to get food. Charitable food providers, such as food pantries, emergency kitchens, and emergency shelters, help low-income households augment food supplies obtained through Federal nutrition-assistance programs and provide food to needy individuals who are either ineligible or otherwise do not participate in these programs. For more information, contact: Linda Scott Kantor, 202-694-5456, lkantor@ERS.USDA.gov. Characteristics of Mid-Atlantic Food Banks and Food Rescue Organizations, 72 kb