What, When, and Where Americans Eats
Americans Eats – Take-home meals with far-from-home flavors, a boomer cut in everyday cooking, and a growing culinary interest in plant-based foods for reasons that move beyond healthiness are some of the industry’s most popular trends today.
Americans spend more than half (54%) of their food dollars on meals away from home; This is the highest level in history (Lyons Wyatt & Parker 2019a).
Although more than eight of 10 dinners are eaten at home, the number of evening meals at home continues to decline.
On average, American households prepare 4.5 dinners at home per week, down from 4.9 in 2017; 28% of households prepare meals for three nights or less per week, And 28% do so on six or more nights (FMI 2019a).
What does America eat?
In the past year, for the first time, the number of meals prepared at home by baby boomers and those living in rural areas has dropped dramatically, from 5.0 to 4.6 meals per week and from 4.9 to 4.4, respectively ( FMI 2019a; Figure 1).
On average, American adults eat breakfast 4.9 times per week, lunch 5.5 times, and dinner 6.4 nights per week; People who live alone eat breakfast a little less frequently (FMI 2019b).
Forty-six percent of eating opportunities occur alone, Which includes 53% breakfast, 45% lunch and 24% dinner.
Most people eat breakfast alone (Hartman 2018a). Four out of 10 go to restaurants alone (Packaged Facts 2019a).
There is an increasing interest in eating with others; 60% say they “eat well” if they eat with family or friends (FMI 2019b).
Although households with children eat only 3.6 dinners, 2.0 breakfasts and 1.4 lunches per week at home with the family, 76% of parents say eating together is very important (FMI 2019b).
Specialized foods and takeout/take-home-oriented menus are becoming increasingly crucial as parents cook separate meals for adults and children on 49% of family meal times (FMI 2019b).
Millennials continue to demand more specialized foods/beverages. Over the past two years, gourmet food sales jumped 9.8% to reach $113 billion in retail and an additional $2.8 billion online (SFA 2019).
Cottage cheese/plant-based cheese substitutes; frozen/refrigerated meat, poultry, and seafood; chips, pretzels and snacks; coffee/cocoa; bread/baked goods; chocolate/confectionery; refrigerated entrance doors; frozen desserts; frozen entrance; and yoghurt/kefir (in descending order) are the largest speciality food categories (SFA 2019).
Refrigerated/frozen plant-based meat options, rice cakes, water, refrigerated ready-to-drink tea/coffee, creams/creamers, frozen desserts, jerky/meat snacks, and refrigerated pasta made the most significant specialty dollar sales gains (SFA 2019) posted. ,
Over the years, American food culture has focused on getting consumers to eat “fresh.” When shopping, 67% of consumers prefer fresh; 55%, clean; 49%, real; and 47%, pesticide-free (Hartman 2018b).
Of the 38% of people who experimented with the diet in the past year, 10% did so for Clean Eating (IFIC 2019).
But while fresh still makes up a quarter of multi-outlet food/beverage retail sales, year-end (Y/E) growth slowed to 1.3% for September 8, 2019, versus overall food/beverage sales, which grew 2.0% (Leon Wyatt & Parker 2019a).
Deli/prepared food, seafood, and packaged/fresh Bakery were the only significant new divisions that posted positive dollar gains (Lyons Wyatt & Parker 2019a).
During the same time frame, center-store sales growth outperformed fresh foods for the first time in 10 years (Lyon Voyt & Parker 2019a).
Finally, consumers have more choices than ever; 13,000 new UPC food/beverage brands were launched in 2018, with sales exceeding $100 million in just four years (Lyons Voight & Parker 2019b).
Take out, take over
It’s time for restaurants to start catering to the younger generation. Millennials (80%) and Gen Z (70%) are now the most likely to go to a restaurant at least once a week, compared with 67% of Gen Zs and 50% of Boomers (Technomic 2018a).
In 2018, these younger generations each got 45% of their lunch, 40% of their dinner, a third of their breakfast, and 30% of their late-night snacks from food service (Technomic 2018a).
By far, quick-service restaurants serving beef, barbecue, or burgers remain the most visited by menu segment—used by 74% of the US population, or 182 million adults.
This is followed by restaurants with a focus on chicken preserved by 47% of the population; coffee/bakery outlets, 42%; Mexican/Asian/Ethnic restaurants, 41%; sandwich shops, 33%; Ice Cream / Smoothie / Juice Outlet, 11%; and seafood-focused restaurants, 8% (Packed Facts 2019a).
McDonald’s is the most popular restaurant, with 127 million US customers visiting in the 12 months ending in spring 2019. Chick-fil-A, with 66 million patrons, overtakes KFC in the chicken territory.
Applebee’s, with nearly 54 million patrons, still has the most diners in the casual dining segment despite Olive Garden, with about 49 million patrons, topping sales earlier this year. Steakhouses and seafood restaurants still reign full-service (Packaged Facts 2019a).
For Y/E April 2019 (NPD 2019), diners ordered 6.4 billion beef burgers and 4 billion chicken sandwiches versus 228 million vegetable burgers and vegetable/salad sandwiches.
Chicken sandwiches/strips, other desserts/snacks, pizza and tacos are the fastest-growing quick-service items (NRA 2019). F
or the first time, sales at Asian/noodle limited-service and full-service restaurants overtook Mexican in 2018 (Technomic 2019a).
Build-your-own items are the top trend for quick-service and fast-casual restaurants. They have gained popularity on restaurant menus with specialty iced teas, mini-desserts, snack-sized versions of regular meal items, healthy meals for kids, and more. Will do. Coffee, and ethnic spices (NRA 2019).
All natural/minimally processed, vegetarian/vegan, gluten-free, homemade, locally sourced and eco-sourced produce/meat, and organic and free-range/grass-fed meats and poultry are healthy and sustainable menu descriptors projected to attract more attention. Is.
But consumers are not eating out more often. Only 38% of all visits eat at restaurants; 39% of visits are for carryout; 22% are drive-thru visits, And 3% involve food delivery (NRA 2019).
Customers eat off-premises on more than three-quarters of quick-service and coffee/bakery/snack shop visits, half fast casual, 20% family, 18% simple, and 6% fine dining visits (NRA 2019).
Off-premises traffic is split evenly between lunch and dinner thanks to quick service and fast casual restaurants; Breakfast is dominated by the Coffee/Breakfast Outlet (NRA 2019).
While Millennial parents are growing up with their kids at restaurants faster than any other group, 40% of the food they buy is eaten at home (Technomic 2018a). (Americans Eats)
Quick fixes
For the Y/E of March 24, 2019, retail prepared foods sales topped $12.5 billion. Entree/prepared meat sales increased 2.6% to $5.3 billion; Appetizers rose 13.5% to $1.8 billion; and dips/sauces, up 12.7% to $313 million (Dubois et al. 2019a).
Sushi accounts for 10.4% of ready-made food sales. Ready salad sales topped $1.8 billion; Sandwich sales were $1.7 billion; side, $412 million; and soup, $227 million.
Sales of freshly prepared breakfast sandwiches increased by 39%; Egg Roll Appetizer, +34%; Chicken Appetizer, +16%; Vegetable entrées, +14%; Hot Sandwich, +11%; Jalapeno Popper Appetizer, +7%; and pasta side dishes, +5%. Pizza sales fell 3% (Dubois et al. 2019a).
Home Entertaining is driving party appetizer platter sales, up 25% to $337 million; Holiday meal sales jumped 17%.
One in 10 consumers buy prepared foods from gourmet retailers; 9% purchase prepared foods at convenience stores (Lyons Wyatt & Parker 2019b).
Olive, mischief, and pickled vegetable food bars reached $450 million in sales; Trail mix and gelato bars are other popular in-store stations (Dubois et al. 2019a).
Forty-five percent of consumers increased their purchase of frozen foods for Y/E on September 8, 2019 (Lyon Wyatt & Parker 2019a).
Although two-thirds bought more frozen products for convenience, 61% did so to try new food, dish, or flavor (AFFI 2019). (Americans Eats)
With sales of $9.2 billion in 2018, dinner/entrée remains the largest frozen food category, followed by ice cream at $6.8 billion; novelties, $5.2 billion; Pizza, $4.9 billion; Seafood, $4.8 billion; poultry, $4.2 billion; breakfast food, $3.5 billion; meat, $2.7 billion; Vegetables, $2.5 billion; and appetizers/snack rolls, $2.3 billion. Nine of the top 10 frozen categories grew sales; Frozen Appetizers LED Unit Growth (AFFI 2019).
Nearly half (45%) of employees occasionally bring frozen food to work for breakfast, lunch or snacks. Natural, no artificial ingredients, and all-natural claims matter most to firm food users (AFFI 2019). (Americans Eats)
Dinner lineup
Serving home-prepared meals using meat/poultry has returned to levels not seen since 2011-2012 with a frequency of four nights/weeks. This is despite all the meat consumption cuts (FMI 2019c).
The US Department of Agriculture will maintain overall meat/poultry consumption in 2019, essentially the same as last year. In pounds terms, chicken and beef are now consumed at roughly the same level (USDA 2019).
Chicken tops the list of foods Millennials typically eat for a weeknight, with 70% doing so, 46% eating beef, 39% a burger; 31% fish; and 28% pork.
Pasta, pizza, salad, rice and Mexican foods are other popular weeknight dinner items for young adults (Ypulse 2018).
Added-value meat/poultry (e.g., marinated/seasoned meat) achieved 50% growth in the fresh meat department for Y/E on January 19, 2019. (Americans Eats)
While still the largest sector, the share of whole new items is only 24%. of growth; Ready-to-eat/precooked accounted for 22% (Dubois et al. 2019b).
Sales of Fresh Chicken Stir-Fry/Kebab/Fajita Cuts and Ground Pork increased by 14% in 2018; ground chicken, +12%; chicken thigh, +9%; Various types of beef cuts, +8%; beef ribs, +6%; chicken wings, +6%; and ground turkey, +6%.
Value-added chicken sales up 8.8%; Value-added pork, +6.3%. Sales of freshly prepared grab-and-go meats jumped 16.1% at the deli (Dubois et al. 2019b).
All-natural meat/poultry sales reached $7.3 billion, up 2.4% for Y/E January 19, 2019; Antibiotic free was $4.9 billion, up 3.1%; hormone-free was $3.4 billion, up 5.2%; organic was $950 million, up 13.1%; Humanely raised was $515 million, up 0.6%; and grass-fed was $489 million, up 11.7%. Grass-fed tops the list of claims buyers want to see more of in their fresh meat case (FMI 2019c).
Over the past two years, 14% of adults say they have increased the frequency of eating a meat-free diet (HealthFocus 2019). Fourteen percent describe themselves as flexitarian, and 4% say they are pescatarian (DataSense 2019). (Americans Eats)
While 32% of consumers are interested in vegetarian menu items and 28% are interested in vegetarian menu items, the percentage of those practicing these eating plans is a much smaller group; 5% of consumers define themselves as a full-time vegetarian, and 3% say they are a full-time vegetarian. Vegetarian descriptors appear on 11% of restaurant menus (Datassential 2019).
Young adults aged 18–24, followed by those aged 25–39, Asians, and low-income and very high-income individuals, are most likely to be carnivorous consumers (Packaged Facts 2019b).
A third of consumers purchased a meat substitute in the most recent three-month period in 2019 (Hartmann 2019a). (Americans Eats)
Three-quarters of those who buy meat substitutes also eat meat. US retail meat alternative sales Y/E for January 19, 2019, were above $979 million, up 17.6% (FMI 2019c).
After burgers, chicken/poultry, hot dogs, pizza, breakfast items, and deli meats are the most popular forms of meat substitutes. Morningstar Farms, Boca and Gardenburger are the most bought brands (Packaged Facts 2019b).
Beyond Meat’s investment prospectus shows sales of $213 million at the end of 2019, which includes both restaurant and retail (Beyond Meat 2019).
At least on occasion, 73% of meal preppers serve a plant protein-based meal for dinner. Beans, chickpeas, lentils, and legumes are used by 49%, nuts/seeds by 48%, veggie burgers or similar by 30%, quinoa or other grains by 29%, and tofu/tempeh by 17% (FMI 2019d). More than half of consumers eat legumes at least once a week (Datassential 2019).
Two-thirds of adults eat fish; 58% eat more fish/seafood occasionally. Shrimp, salmon, tuna, tilapia, Alaska pollock, pangasius, cod, crab, catfish and clams are America’s most commonly consumed fish/seafood (NFI 2019).
Four in 10 consumers (43%) purchased milk substitutes in the most recent three-month period; Buy 30% of dairy product substitutes. (Americans Eats)
Plant-based spreads, creamers, yogurt, cheese and ice cream posted significant double-digit growth from a small base for Y/E April 2019 (PBFA 2019).
Cheesy now tops the list of flavors consumers crave; Next is savory, which has led the list for the past few years. Next comes the sweet, buttery and spicy (Technomic 2019b).
Natural and speciality cheese sales are projected to exceed $23 billion by 2023 (Packaged Facts 2019c). More restaurants are specifying the type of frieze used in their menu items.
For example, the menu mentions other more advanced forms (e.g., gorgonzola) instead of simply labelling something as blue cheese. Cheesemakers’ name is also getting increasingly popular on menus (Datassential 2018).
While Italian, Mexican, Chinese, and American regional (e.g., Southern and Tex-Mex) still top the list of favorite cuisines, Asian cuisine is rapidly taking center stage.
Half of the consumers now prefer Japanese cuisine and think it is unique. In addition, 43% have tried Thai food; 36%, Korean; 34%, Indian; 28%, Vietnamese; 24%, Indonesian; 20%, Filipino; and 12%, Malaysian fare (Technical 2018b).
As takeout/take-home food proliferates, so is trying new flavors associated with eating at home. Four out of 10 adults find a simple twist to a familiar taste, a seasonal flavor, or a regional/local flavor unique (Technomic 2019b). (Americans Eats)
Although one-third of consumers are looking for bold flavours, half of the consumers prefer food that is not spicy.
Expect restaurant operators to feature more herbs and mild spices on menus (Technomic 2019b). It’s important to note that only 20% of consumers always seek out new flavours; 66% do so from time to time (Technical 2019b).
Four out of 10 consumers eat fresh produce daily; 36% eat new fruits/vegetables three days a week or less.
After-dinner snacks are the parts of the day where Americans are trying to increase their consumption of produce; Demand for more fresh produce snacks is up 17% compared to 2017 (FMI 2019d).
In descending order, bananas, apples, grapes, strawberries, watermelons, oranges, lemons, blueberries, peaches, and pineapples were the most purchased fresh fruits in 2018. Pineapple moved into the top 10; Honeydew and mango are new additions to the top 20 (Johnson 2019).
Potato, onion, tomato, carrot, capsicum, lettuce, broccoli, salad mix, cucumber and ajwain top the list of most bought fruits. Green beans, green onions, and capsicum increased significantly in the top 20 (Johnson 2019). (Americans Eats)
While sales of value-added fruits remained flat, sales of value-added vegetables grew 6.6% in dollars and 6.7% in pounds.
Organic products remain the largest organic food category, rising 5.6% to $17.4 billion in 2018 (OTA 2019).
Ranch, then “other Italian,” Caesar, vinaigrette, Thousand Island, and blue cheese are Americans’ favorite salad dressings; For more ethnically flavored sauces, see (e.g., Tzatziki) (Datasentials 2018).
Chia, Kamut, sorghum, and flaxseed have increased by more than 50% on the menu in the past four years; Quinoa was up 33% (DataSense 2018). (Americans Eats)
Food by depart
Seventy-five percent of young adults and 92% of adolescents aged 18-35 ate lunch on a typical weekday (Ypulse 2018) in the past year.
Retail sales of freshly prepared refrigerated lunches reached $2.5 billion in 2018. Y/E For March 24, 2019, prepared salad sales topped $1.8 billion; Ready sandwich sales were $1.7 billion, and deli soup sales were $227 million. Hot sandwich sales increased by 11% (Dubois et al. 2019a).
The sandwich tops the list of offerings Deli Managers plan to expand this year, with 43% planning to do so. (Americans Eats)
Catering, side dishes, lunch, dinner, hot/cold bars, daily specials, rotisserie programs, and breakfast and soup stations (Doodleseek 2019) are also slated for expansion by Daily Mangers.
Six out of 10 consumers order a deli sandwich during a typical month; 56% order sub/hero, and 53% order wraps.
Other popular options are the salad sandwich, mini sandwich, panini, flatbread sandwich, and an ethnic sandwich (Technomic 2018c).
Traditional lunchbox staples, peanut butter and jelly, were also sandwich consumers most consumed at home last year, followed by ham, turkey and grilled cheese (NPD 2018).
Brioche, naan, and Cuban bread have been among the fastest-growing sandwich carriers on restaurant menus over the past four years (DataSense 2018).
Daily presliced cheese sales reached approximately $9.9 billion, up 9.9% for Y/E March 24, 2019; Sales of precooked meat were $3.0 billion, up 7.1%; speciality cheese sales topped $2.9 billion, up 7.1% (Dubois et al. 2019a). (Americans Eats)
Refrigerated Meat/Cheese/Cracker/Desert Snack Kit sales grew by 8.5% in 2018 and 6.5% in 2019 for Y/E on May 18, 2019 (Lyon Viet 2019a).
Two-thirds of consumers prefer to order sweets when eating out (Culinary Visions 2019). Fresh Bakery is having a banner year, with dollar sales up 14% and Y/E up 8.8% for March 31, 2019 (Lyons Wyatt 2019b).
In descending order, cookies, bread, cakes/torts, doughnuts, rolls, celebration cakes, cupcakes, and pies are the best sellers at the in-store Bakery (ABA 2019).
Eight out of 10 operators of in-store bakeries sell gluten-free bakery products; Nut-free and egg-free bakery products are also on the rise (Martin 2019).
The fastest-growing categories of dessert brownies, croissants, artisan/other bread, pastry crusts/shells, sweet dessert bars, and tortilla shells within the centre-store bakery aisle (ABA 2019). (Americans Eats)
Nibble…
About half (47%) of adults eat more than three daily snacks. Two-thirds breakfast in the afternoon, 57% in the evening, 40% in the late evening, 36% in the afternoon and 26% in the early morning (Lyon Wyatt 2019a).
Snacks, both healthy and indulgent, drove growth last year, with sales up 3.9%, followed by traditional indulgent snacks, +2.9%; Seriously Healthy Snacks, +1.6%; and treats, +1.2% (Lyons Wyatt 2019a). (Americans Eats)
Y/E Salty Snack sales increased 4.9% to $24.9 billion on May 19, 2019; Potato chips remain in the largest category. Sales of pork rinds rose 17%; puffed cheese snacks, +8.2%; other salty snacks, +8%; popcorn, +3.9%; Tortilla Chips, +3.8%; and corn snacks, +2.8%. Strong gains in sales of oven-baked chips and apple chips (Pekenpagh 2019).
Chocolate candy, other candies, cookies, chips, crackers, tortilla chips, snack nuts, frozen novelties, yogurt and ice cream, are the largest snack categories; Yogurt and ice cream alone didn’t register strong growth last year (Lyons Wyatt 2019a).
Two-thirds of adults crave more snacks that boost energy; 57% want snacks that contain vitamins/minerals; 50% look for snacks that serve fruits/vegetables; And a third want organic snacks (Lyons Wyatt 2019a).
Plant-based snack foods and beverages are other rapidly growing sectors. Namkeen snacks of chickpeas are projected to grow by 35% in the next few years; Sales of bean-based snacks are expected to grow by 25% (Lyons Wyatt 2019a).
Frozen novelties, snack/granola bars, refrigerated olives/chilli/pimentos, frozen baked foods, snack cakes, peanut butter, eggs, fruit snacks, and refrigerated ready-to-drink coffee posted the most significant gains (Lyons Wyatt 2019a).
Snack bar sales grew 2.4% overall to over $6.3 billion as of March 24, 2019. Sales of granola bars declined 4.5% to $1.6 billion (Reilly 2019). (Americans Eats)
Breakfast/cereal/snack bar sales increased by 7.2% to $1.4 billion; Private label bar sales increased by 26%, and sales of KIND bars increased by 44% (Reilly 2019).
The total hot/cold cereal market reached $11 billion in 2018 and is projected to decline at a CAGR of 1.4% between 2018 and 2023 (Packaged Facts 2019c).
Two-thirds of adults frequently consume the beverage as a snack (Lyons Wyatt 2019a). Three-quarters of Millennials, 63% of Gen X and 58% of Boomers say they always have a drink.
Millennials regularly consume products from 10 beverage categories, Gen Xers consume 8.3 products, and Boomers consume 7.1 products (Hartman 2019b).
Half of all drinking opportunities occur alone. Classified by state, 51% are for refreshments, 50% for energy, 48% for fuel/fillers, 47% for health, and 45% for enjoyment (Hartmann 2019b)
Because of its use in water, hibiscus is the fastest-growing beverage flavour at lunch and dinner, up 32% over the past two years.
It is followed by Mexican flavours, by 17%; honey, +14%; lemon, +13%; Cucumber, +12%; watermelon, +8%; and pineapple and blueberries, 6% each (Technomic 2019b).
Half of the consumers are very concerned about the calories in their beverages, and 45% would like their drinks to do more for them (e.g., provide energy, nutrients, or other benefits) (Hartman 2019a). (Americans Eats)
Healthy aspirations
About half of consumers say their diet can be healthy; 23% say it can be much more beneficial (FMI 2019b).
Four out of 10 closely monitor what they eat, 43% try to eat healthily but don’t pay attention, and 9% claim to be on a strict diet (Data Scientific 2019).
Three-quarters of consumers say they are trying to include more vegetables; 71% want to eat more fruit, 53% more nuts/seeds, 48% more fish, and 44% more beans, lentils/legumes (Datassential 2019).
Sixty-two percent add more fiber to their diet; 60% more protein; 59% more vitamin D; 56% more calcium; 55% more whole grains; 51% more olive oil, and 47% more antioxidants (Hartman 2019a). (Americans Eats)
Sales of protein-claimed foods/beverages increased by 9%. Sales of products with protein and without hormone claims increased by 15%, with products containing protein and those without preservative claims.
Other allegations and associated sales growth include the following: Protein plus a non-GMO claim, +21%; Protein Plus Whole Grains, +27; protein plus no antibiotics, +41%; and protein plus probiotics, +69% (Dubois et al. 2019b).
More than two-thirds of grocery shoppers look for defense claims on food packages; The major avoidance claims are about sugar, sodium, and non-homogeneous/antibiotics.
Six of 10 consumers look for minimal processing claims, of which no artificial ingredients/preservatives and non-GMOs are the most important. Free-range and grass-fed foods are the most sought-after ethical claims (FMI 2019b).
Cardiovascular health has fallen to fourth place as consumers are trying to profit from the foods most often; Weight management, followed by energy, and digestive benefits, now top the list (IFIC 2019).
Although nearly six in 10 consumers say they are eating more plant-based foods than they did two years ago, consumption of fruits/vegetables and meat has not changed accordingly (USDA 2019; HealthFocus 2019).
Women, Asians, those under the age of 39, those with children at home, and those with higher incomes and higher levels of education are most likely to say they are eating more plant-based foods (HealthFocus 2019). (Americans Eats)
Half of the adults (50%) have tried a new diet or eating approach in the past year, up from 40% in 2017 (Hartman 2019a). Of the 50% who experimented with the diet/eating plan during the past year, 12% have tried a low-carbohydrate diet; 9% each has tried a dairy-free/lactose-free diet, intermittent fasting, or a gluten-free plan; 8%, a Mediterranean diet; 7%, Whole 30 Diet or Juice/Detox Cleanse; 6%, Weight Watchers; and 5% each, elimination, ketogenic, or paleo diet (Hartman 2019a).
But what’s different from previous dieting practices is that only 3% of those who tried the diet stayed exclusively on a specific diet/eating plan. About two-thirds of adults are “not interested” in keto, paleo, Whole30 or Atkin’s diets (DataSensual 2019).
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