Editor's Pick 2013, #3:<br>Americans' at-home food spending out of sync with dietary recommendations

With food prepared at home accounting for close to two-thirds of Americans? daily calories, purchasing choices made in the grocery store are the first steps to a healthy diet. ERS researchers compared consumers? 1998-2006 grocery store purchases with USDA food spending guidelines for a nutritious diet and found that consumer spending came close to matching the guidelines for only 1 food category examined?potatoes. Grocery purchases as recorded by Nielsen Homescan panelists were compared with nutritionally-appropriate expenditure shares for 23 broad categories of foods and beverages.