More Americans Spend More Time in Food-Related Activities Than a Decade Ago

An analysis of time use data by ERS researchers reveals that Americans age 15 and older, on average, spent 18 percent more time preparing food in 2014-17 than in 2004-07, and the gender disparity in preparing food and cleaning up afterwards lessened somewhat. The share of Americans who purchased non-grocery store food, such as from restaurants or school cafeterias, on an average day grew from 11.3 to 13.5 percent.