Negative Dietary Impacts of Eating Out

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Americans spend a large share of their food budget (42%) on food away from home (FAFH), which has been found less nutritious than food prepared at home. For the average consumer, eating one meal away from home each week adds 134 calories, which translates to roughly an additional 2 lbs. of weight gained each year, according to a new study from the USDA’s Economic Research Service.

Using data from 1994 to ’96 and 2003 to ’04, the study applied fixed-effects estimation to control for unobservable influences and found that, for the average adult, FAFH increases daily caloric intake and reduces diet quality. The effects vary depending on which meals are consumed away from home.

On average, breakfast away from home decreases the number of servings of whole grains and dairy consumed per 1,000 calories and increases the percent of calories from saturated and solid fat, alcohol, and added sugar (SoFAAS) in a day. Dinner away from home reduces the number of servings of vegetables consumed per 1,000 calories for the average adult. Breakfast and lunch away from home increase calories from saturated fat and SoFAAS on average more among dieters than among non-dieters. Some of the overall negative dietary effects decreased between 1994 to ’96 and 2003 to ’04, including those related to whole-grain, sodium and vegetable consumption.