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Time spent preparing meals and cleaning up varies

  • by Economic Research Service
  • 2/8/2012
  • Food Choices & Health
A chart showing the average time spent in meal preparation and clean up by Americans, years 2006 to 2008.

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Responses from time use surveys reveal that on an average day during 2006-08, 54 percent of Americans age 18 and older prepared food and/or drinks, spending just over an hour on this activity including cleanup time. Thirty-nine percent of men versus 67 percent of woman reported preparing meals. Men who prepared meals spent 46.8 minutes doing so, and women who prepared meals spent 69.5 minutes on this activity. Time spent preparing food increased with age. 18-24 year olds who prepared meals spent 49.5 minutes on meal prep, while 25-64 year olds spent 61 minutes. People 65 and older who prepared meals devoted 68 minutes to this task. The data for this chart come from table 7 in How Much Time Do Americans Spend on Food?, EIB-86, November 2011.

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