Monthly food spending remained higher year over year in May 2023

While food-away-from-home spending declined sharply early in the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic (March–April 2020) in response to stay-at-home orders—spending in restaurants, school cafeterias, sports venues, and other eating-out establishments returned to pre-pandemic levels by April 2021. Food-away-from-home spending during March 2021 through May 2023 outpaced food-at-home spending each month, returning to the pattern seen during most of 2019. Total food expenditures presented year-over-year increases March 2021 through May 2023.