Americans are spending more on fast food and at restaurants than on groceries for homemade meals.
The finding was reported in October 2015 by the U.S. Department of
Commerce, but the numbers are not cut-and-dried. Grocery-expenditure
information does not include retailers like Walmart, Costco, and Target,
and does not single out deli food and other ready-made meals. And the
dining-out numbers include certain commercial catering services. Still,
experts agree that restaurant sales are showing an unprecedented
increase.
The shift is a sign of confidence in the economy — and an indicator
of our lifestyles, according to B. Hudson Riehle of the National
Restaurant Association. Diners are buying convenience: Much of the
industry’s growth comes from takeout, drive-through, and other
quick-and-easy meals rather than traditional sit-down meals, he
explains.
That desire for convenience could be hurting our wallets and
waistlines. The average cost of restaurant meals ($6.96 in 2014) is
three times that of homemade meals ($2.31), the market-research firm NPD
Group reports.
Restaurant meals tend to contain more total fat, saturated fat, sugar,
sodium, cholesterol, and calories than homemade dishes, according to a
2015 University of Illinois study. Sit-down restaurant meals are often
no better than fast-food meals, the research shows.
The average restaurant meal contains 1,327 calories, according to a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine
that analyzed 157 full meals with side dishes from 33 randomly selected
restaurants. The Institute of Medicine recommends a daily total of
1,600 to 2,400 calories for women and 2,000 to 3,000 for men.