Away-From-Home Foods Increasingly Important to Quality of American

Diet. By Biing-Hwan Lin and Elizabeth Frazão, Food and Rural Economics

Division, Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture; and

Joanne Guthrie, Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Department of Health and

Human Services. Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 749.

Abstract

The increasing popularity of dining out over the past two decades has raised the

proportion of nutrients obtained from away-from-home food sources. Between

1977 and 1995, home foods significantly improved their nutritional quality,

more so than away-from-home foods, which typically contained more of the

nutrients overconsumed (fat and saturated fat) and less of the nutrients underconsumed (calcium, fiber, and iron) by Americans. Since the trend of eating out

frequently is expected to continue, strategies to improve the American diet must

address consumers food choices when eating out.

Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the comments and suggestions of James

Blaylock of ERS and Etta Saltos of the Center for Nutrition Policy and

Promotion, USDA. Deana Kussman provided excellent editorial assistance.

1800 M Street, NW

Washington, DC 20036-5831 January 1999
ii Away-From-Home Foods Increasingly Important to Quality of American Diet Economic Research Service/USDA

Contents

Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .iii

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

The Data: 1977-95 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Meal and Snack Eating Patterns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Nutritional Quality of Home and Away-from-Home Foods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Caloric Intake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Fat and Saturated Fat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Cholesterol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Sodium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Calcium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Dietary Fiber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Dietary Iron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22
Economic Research Service/USDA Away-From-Home Foods Increasingly Important to Quality of American Diet iii

Summary

Americans are dining out more often than ever, boosting the amount spent at

eating places from 26 percent of food expenditures in 1970 to 39 percent in

1996. While the nutritional quality of foods consumed by Americans has

improved overall, foods prepared at home are generally much more healthful

than away-from-home foods. Despite nutritional gains at home, Americans will

find it difficult to improve their diets because they purchase so many meals outside the home.

The frequency of dining out rose by more than two-thirds over the past two

decades, from 16 percent of all meals and snacks in 1977-78 to 27 percent in

1995. Consequently, a greater proportion of nutrients now come from awayfrom-home food sources. For example, away-from-home foods provided 34

percent of total caloric intake in 1995 (nearly double the 18 percent in 1977-78),

38 percent of total fat intake (vs. 18 percent in 1977-78), 29 percent of total calcium intake (vs. 17 percent in 1977-78), and 27 percent of total iron intake (vs.

16 percent in 1977-78).

Improved diets could prevent a significant proportion of heart disease, stroke,

cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis-related hip fractures, and neural tube birth defects

in the United States. The costs associated with these health conditions are substantial. Just for osteoporosis-related hip fractures, the U.S. Department of

Agricultures (USDA) Economic Research Service (ERS) has estimated that

improved diets might save $5.1 to $10.6 billion each year in medical care costs,

missed work, and premature deaths. These enormous costs are one reason that

USDA and other private and public entities place a high priority on improving

Americans diets.

The nutritional content of foods prepared at home (home foods) has improved

more than that of away-from-home foods in recent years. In 1995, away-fromhome foods typically contained more of the nutrients overconsumed (fat and

saturated fat) and less of those underconsumed (calcium, fiber, and iron) than

home foods.

In 1977-78, fat from both home and away-from-home foods provided 41 percent

of the calories consumed. The fat content of home foods declined to 31.5 percent of calories from fat by 1995, whereas the fat content of away-from-home

foods declined much less, to 37.6 percent of calories.

As with fat, the saturated fat content of American diets declined steadily since

its first measurement in 1987-88. Home foods typically had lower saturated fat

than away-from-home foods, and saturated fat in both types of foods experienced similar declines through 1994. Between 1994 and 1995, saturated fat

in home foods continued to decline, but that in away-from-home foods rose

slightly.
Cholesterol in both home and away-from-home foods has declined considerably

since cholesterol intake was first measured in 1987-88. However, the decline

has been sharper among home foods: between 1987-88 and 1990, cholesterol

density in home foods was higher than in away-from-home foods, but the relationship has reversed since 1991.

Sodium levels in both home and away-from-home foods are higher than the recommended level and have shown little decline over the years. With rising

caloric intake, Americans are facing an uphill battle in lowering their sodium

intake to meet the recommended level.

Calcium in home foods showed a general upward trend over the past two

decades, while the calcium in away-from-home foods declined slightly. In

1995, calcium in home foods was fairly close to the 1989 recommended levels,

but away-from-home foods were more than 20 percent below the recommended

level. School foods were considerably rich in calcium compared with any other

foods.

Fiber in both home and away-from-home foods has increased slightly. Home

foods were more rich in fiber than away-from-home foods, but both remained

low. The trend in eating out more implies that reaching the recommended fiber

intake will remain a challenge for Americans. 

Home foods have shown a larger increase in iron than away-from-home foods,

likely because of increased home consumption of iron-fortified breakfast cereals. While most Americans consume recommended amounts of dietary iron,

low iron intake is common among teenage girls and women, who face the highest requirements and typically have low food consumption.

iv Away-From-Home Foods Increasingly Important to Quality of American Diet Economic Research Service/USDA
Economic Research Service/USDA Away-From-Home Foods Increasingly Important to Quality of American Diet 1

Introduction

Over the past decades, eating out has been increasingly

popular for Americans. In 1970, 26 percent of total

food expenditure was spent away from home; by 1996,

that number had risen to 39 percent (fig. 1). A number

of factors contribute to the trend of increased dining

out, including: a growing number of women employed

outside the home, more two-earner households, higher

incomes, more affordable and convenient fast-food

outlets, increased advertising and promotion by large

foodservice chains, and the smaller size of American

households (Nayga and Capps).

Earlier studies suggested that away-from-home foods

have lower nutritional quality than home foods. For

example, Lin and Frazão showed that away-fromhome foods were higher in fat and saturated fat and

lower in fiber and calcium than home foods. Similarly,

a nonprofit consumer advocacy group, the Center for

Science in the Public Interest, highlighted the high fat,

saturated fat, and sodium contents of many popular

restaurant foods. Therefore, the increased trend toward

food away from home could present a challenge for

Americans to improve the nutritional quality of their

diets.

Research points to poor diets as a significant cause of

heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, osteoporosisrelated hip fractures, and neural tube birth defects in

the United States. The costs associated with these

health conditions are substantial. For example, the

Away-From-Home Foods

Increasingly Important

to Quality of American Diet 

Biing-Hwan Lin

Joanne Guthrie

Elizabeth Frazão

75 80 85 90 95 96

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

1970

Percent 

Food at home

Food away from home

Figure 1

Share of food budget at home and away from home 

As Americans increasingly eat out, the nutritional value of away-from-home foods 

becomes more important in overall diet quality

Source: Putnam and Allshouse.
2 Away-From-Home Foods Increasingly Important to Quality of American Diet Economic Research Service/USDA

U.S. Department of Agricultures (USDA) Economic

Research Service (ERS) has estimated that improved

diets might save $5.1 to $10.6 billion each year in

medical care costs, missed work, and premature deaths

from osteoporosis-related hip fractures alone. These

enormous costs are one reason that USDA and other

private and public entities place a high priority on

improving Americans diets.

The social, demographic, and economic factors that

promote dining out should continue to boost awayfrom-home food spending. Consequently, it is important to understand the trends in the nutritional profiles

of food at home and away from home and how the

trend toward dining out might affect diet quality.

We analyzed food intake survey data collected by

USDA over the past two decades to compare the nutritional quality of home and away-from-home foods and

examine how the quality has changed over time. This

historical comparison shows how dining out influences

specific dietary components. We focus on the nutrients

that are current public health concerns: excessive

intakes of total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium, and low intakes of fiber, calcium, and iron

(Interagency Board for Nutrition Monitoring and

Related Research). The potential consequences associated with inadequate and/or excessive intake for each

of these seven nutrients are summarized in table 1.

Table 1Consequence of inadequate and excessive intake of selected nutrients

Nutrient Function in body Consequence of inadequate intake Consequence of excessive intake

Food energy Metabolic processes; supports Underweight, semi-starvation, growth Overweight and obesity (risk 

physical activity and growth, retardation in children. factors for heart disease, stroke, 

repairs bones and tissues, and diabetes, hypertension, cancers).

maintains body temperature.

Fiber Promotes normal laxation. Constipation; may increase risk Possible decrease in mineral 

of heart disease and some cancers. absorption.

Calcium Formation and maintenance of May increase risk of osteoporosis. Renal calculi; possible soft tissue

bone and teeth; muscle calcification.

contraction; blood clotting;

integrity of cell membranes.

Iron Carrier of oxygen in body; Iron deficiency and iron deficiency Iron overload; may increase risk of 

red blood cell formation. anemia; functional impairments in stroke and some cancers in men.

intellectual development and

learning, behavior, work

performance, and resistance to

infection.

Total fat, Concentrated sources of energy; No public health problem; clinical Associated with elevated levels of 

saturated fat, carrier for fat-soluble vitamins; deficiencies of essential fatty acids blood cholesterol and of low-density

cholesterol structural and functional and fat-soluble nutrients have lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, major

components of cell membranes; occurred. risk factors for coronary heart

precursors of compounds disease.

involved in many aspects of

metabolism.

Sodium Regulation of body fluid volume -- Edema; associated with high 

and acid-base balance of blood; incidence of hypertension (risk 

transmission of nerve impulses. factor for stroke and heart disease). 

Sources: Adapted by Economic Research Service, USDA, from: Interagency Board for Nutrition Monitoring and Related Research (IBNMRR),

Third Report on Nutrition Monitoring in the United States: Volume 1, Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1995; USDA and DHHS,

Nutrition Monitoring in the United States: An Update Report on Nutrition Monitoring, DHHS Publication No. 89-1255, Public Health Service,

Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1989; and Institute of Medicine, Dietary Reference Intakes: Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium,

Vitamin D, and Fluoride, Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1997.
Economic Research Service/USDA Away-From-Home Foods Increasingly Important to Quality of American Diet 3

The Data: 1977-95

USDA has conducted household food consumption

surveys in the United States since the 1930s. In 1965,

USDA supplemented the household food consumption

survey with a survey on the dietary intake of individual

household members. USDA conducted two decennial

Nationwide Food Consumption Surveys in 1977-78

and 1987-88 (NFCS 1977-78 and NFCS 1987-88) in

which individual food intakes were collected. In 1985,

USDA initiated the Continuing Survey of Food Intakes

by Individuals (CSFII) for relatively small national

samples in years between the decennial surveys.

During 1989-91, three separate 1-year surveys collected information on individual food intakes. The 1989-

91 CSFII surveys drew year-round, national representative samples to describe food consumption behavior

and to assess the nutritional content of American diets.

Most recently, USDA conducted another three separate

1-year CSFII surveys for 1994-96. Data from 1994

and 1995 were available and the 1996 survey was in

progress when this study was underway.

We analyzed data from seven year-round, nationwide surveys

of individual food intakes: NFCS 1977-78, NFCS 1987-88,

CSFII 1989, CSFII 1990, CSFII 1991, CSFII 1994, and CSFII

1995. The 1965 data were excluded because they were conducted for the spring quarter only, and only surveyed housekeeping households with at least 1 person having 10 or more

meals at home during a 7-day period. The CSFII 1985-86

data were excluded because they did not represent all

Americans.

The first five surveys, prior to CSFII 1994, collected

dietary intakes for 3 consecutive daysa 1-day recall

and a 2-day record. The 1994-96 CSFII recorded two

nonconsecutive days of food consumption. To more

accurately compare the seven surveys data, only the

first day from each survey is included in the analysis.

The surveys collected information on what and how

much individuals ate and where the food was obtained.

Children under age 2 are excluded from this analysis

because Federal dietary recommendations are not

aimed at individuals under age 2 (USDA/DHHS,

1995). Pregnant and lactating women are also excluded because their dietary needs differ considerably from

the rest of the population. Although only the first

days intake was used in the analysis, individuals with

incomplete dietary intake data (i.e., less than 3 days of

dietary intake data in the first five surveys and less

than 2 days of data in the CSFII 1994-95) are also

excluded to avoid any possible biases between those

who completed and those who only partially completed the survey.

We define home and away-from-home foods based on

where the foods are obtained, not where they are eaten.

Home food is purchased at a retail store, such as a grocery store, a convenience store, or a supermarket. Food

away from home is purchased mainly from foodservice

establishments. Both food at home and food away

from home can be eaten at home or away from home. 

This definition differs from the definition used by

USDAs Agricultural Research Service (ARS), which

defines any food consumed at home (for example, a

pizza delivered to the home) as food at home (Borrud

et al.). Our distinction between home and away-fromhome foods relates to the knowledge and control a

consumer might have over the nutritional content of

the food. Although retail stores increasingly offer

ready-to-eat foods (such as roast chicken and frozen

entrees), foods purchased at retail stores are still frequently used as ingredients in meal preparation, and

the consumer has some control over the nutritional

quality of meals and snacks prepared at home. Awayfrom-home foods are typically ready-to-eat and consumed as is, and the consumer has less control over

or knowledge of their nutritional content. 

The continual evolution of the U.S. foodservice industry over the past two decades prohibited a consistent

definition of away-from-home food sources for the

seven surveys. In this study, away-from-home food

sources are grouped into five categories:

 Fast-food places, including self-service restaurants

and carryout places; 

 Schools (for children ages 2-17), including day-care

centers and summer camps;

 Restaurants with wait staffs; 

 Other public eating places, including cafeterias, residential dining facilities, bars, taverns, lounges, soup

kitchens, shelters, meals on wheels, and other community food programs; and 

 Others, a catch-all category, including vending

machine and gift/someones home.

Meals and snacks consisting of a combination of

away-from-home and home foods are classified

according to the highest caloric component.
4 Away-From-Home Foods Increasingly Important to Quality of American Diet Economic Research Service/USDA

Meal and Snack Eating Patterns

Over the past two decades, the number of meals

Americans consume has remained fairly stable at 2.6-

2.7 per day (table 2). Snacking increased from less

than once a day in 1987-88 to 1.6 times a day in 1995.

The increased popularity of dining out is quite evident

as the proportion of meals away from home increased

from 16 percent in 1977-78 to 29 percent in 1995, and

the proportion of snacks away from home rose from 17

percent in 1977-78 to 22 percent in 1995. Overall,

meals and snacks eaten away from home increased by

more than two-thirds over the past two decades, from

16 percent of all meals and snacks in 1977-78 to 27

percent in 1995. 

The increasing frequency of dining out means that

Americans are getting more of their nutrients from

away-from-home sources (table 3). For example,

away-from-home foods provided 34 percent of total

calories in 1995, up from 18 percent in 1977-78.

Away-from-home foods also provided 38 percent of

total fat intake in 1995, more than double the 18 percent it provided in 1977-78. Similarly, away-fromhome foods contributed 29 percent of total calcium

intake and 27 percent of total iron intake in 1995, compared with 17 and 16 percent, respectively, in 1977-78.

Thus, the nutritional quality of food away from home

becomes increasingly important in determining the

overall nutritional quality of diets in the United States. 

Table 2Meal and snack eating patterns of Americans,1 1977-95

1977-78 1987-88 1989 1990 1991 1994 1995

Number

Meals per day 2.7 2.6 2.6 2.6 2.6 2.7 2.6

Snacks per day 1.1 0.9 1.2 1.2 1.4 1.5 1.6

Percent

Source of meals:

At home 84 76 76 77 73 72 71

Away from home2 16 24 24 23 27 28 29

Source of snacks:

At home 83 80 80 82 82 79 78

Away from home2 17 20 20 18 18 21 22

Source of all meals

and snacks:

At home 84 77 77 78 76 74 73

Away from home2 16 23 23 22 24 26 27

Restaurant 2 4 4 4 4 6 5

Fast food 3 7 7 7 7 8 9

School3 3 2 2 2 3 22

Other public 3 2 2 2 2 2 2

Others 6 8 8 7 8 8 9

1 Ages 2 and older, excluding pregnant and lactating women and those who did not provide complete dietary intake data. 

2 Away from home presents the aggregate of fast foods, restaurants, schools, other public places, and others.

3 Schools are classified as a separate category for children only; for adults, they are included in “others.”

Compiled by Economic Research Service, USDA, from NFCS 1977-78, NFCS 1987-88, CSFII 1989-91, and CSFII 1994-95, first-day intake

data.
Economic Research Service/USDA Away-From-Home Foods Increasingly Important to Quality of American Diet 5

Table 3Consumption of selected nutrients and food components in home and away-from-home foods as

part of total diet, 1977-95

1977-78 1987-88 1989 1990 1991 1994 1995

Percent

Calories

At home 82 73 73 74 71 69 66

Away from home1 18 27 27 26 29 31 34

Total fat

At home 81 72 71 72 68 65 62

Away from home1 18 28 29 28 32 35 38

Saturated fat

At home na 72 71 72 69 67 63

Away from home1 na 28 29 28 31 33 37

Cholesterol

At home na 74 75 75 70 68 66

Away from home1 na 26 25 25 30 32 34

Sodium

At home na 73 74 74 70 68 66

Away from home1 na 27 26 26 30 32 34

Fiber

At home na 78 77 78 75 74 73

Away from home1 na 22 23 22 25 26 27

Calcium

At home 83 77 77 78 75 74 71

Away from home1 17 23 23 22 25 26 29

Iron

At home 84 78 78 79 75 74 73

Away from home1 16 22 22 21 25 26 27

na = not available.

1 Away from home presents the aggregate of fast foods, restaurants, schools, other public places, and others.

Compiled by USDA/ERS from NFCS 1977-78, NFCS 1987-88, CSFII 1989-91, and CSFII 1994-95, first-day intake data.
6 Away-From-Home Foods Increasingly Important to Quality of American Diet Economic Research Service/USDA

Nutritional Quality of Home and Awayfrom-Home Foods

We compared the nutritional quality of foods from various locations using the nutrient-to-calorie density

(nutrient density), which measures the amount of a

nutrient or food component for each 1,000 calories of

that food. Because dietary recommendations for fat

and saturated fat are expressed in terms of total calories consumed, we use the proportion of total calories

that come from fat and from saturated fat as measures

of the fat and saturated fat densities.

For each nutrient or food component we calculate a

benchmark density. Obtained by dividing the recommendation for a given nutrient or food component

by an individuals reported caloric intake in 1,000

calories, the benchmark density represents the nutrient

density an individuals diet would have to reach to

meet the dietary recommendation for that caloric

intake level. The benchmark density for a particular

nutrient will be lower (higher) than the nutrient density

when that nutrient is consumed in amounts higher

(lower) than the recommended levels. We used dietary

recommendations from the Dietary Guidelines for

Americans (USDA/DHHS, 1995) and other health

authorities to derive the benchmark densities (table 4).

We calculate benchmark densities for specific groups

by dividing the sum of the recommended intakes for

all people in the group by the sum of those individuals

reported caloric intakes. Because caloric intakes vary

Table 4Recommended daily intakes of selected dietary components

Gender Dietary Recommendations 

and age Calories1 Fat2 Saturated fat2 Cholesterol3 Sodium4 Fiber5 Calcium1 Iron1

Calories Percent Percent Mg Mg Grams Mg Mg

Children

2-3 1,300 ≤ 30 < 10 300 2,400 Age+5/day 800 10

4-6 1,800 ≤ 30 < 10 300 2,400 Age+5/day 800 10

7-10 2,000 ≤ 30 < 10 300 2,400 Age+5/day 800 10

Males

11-14 2,500 ≤ 30 < 10 300 2,400 Age+5/day 1,200 12

15-18 3,000 ≤ 30 < 10 300 2,400 Age+5/day 1,200 12

19-20 2,900 ≤ 30 < 10 300 2,400 Age+5/day 1,200 10

21-24 2,900 ≤ 30 < 10 300 2,400 11.5/1,000 calories 1,200 10

25-50 2,900 ≤ 30 < 10 300 2,400 11.5/1,000 calories 800 10

51+ 2,300 ≤ 30 < 10 300 2,400 11.5/1,000 calories 800 10

Females

11-14 2,200 ≤ 30 < 10 300 2,400 Age+5/day 1,200 15

15-18 2,000 ≤ 30 < 10 300 2,400 Age+5/day 1,200 15

19-20 2,000 ≤ 30 < 10 300 2,400 Age+5/day 1,200 15

21-24 2,000 ≤ 30 < 10 300 2,400 11.5/1,000 calories 1,200 15

25-50 2,000 ≤ 30 < 10 300 2,400 11.5/1,000 calories 800 15

51+ 1,900 ≤ 30 < 10 300 2,400 11.5/1,000 calories 800 10

Sources: Adapted by Economic Research Service, USDA, from:

1 National Research Council’s Recommended Dietary Allowances.

2 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture’s 1995 Nutrition and Your Health: Dietary Guidelines for

Americans. 

3 U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Daily Values (Kurtzweil).

4 National Research Council’s Diet and Health (National Academy Press, 1989).

5 American Health Foundation for “age plus 5” per day (Williams) and FDA’s Daily Value for 11.5 grams per 1,000 calories (Kurtzweil). 
Economic Research Service/USDA Away-From-Home Foods Increasingly Important to Quality of American Diet 7

over time, benchmark densities also vary from year to

year. For any nutrient, a higher caloric intake means

that less of that nutrient is needed per 1,000 calories to

meet the same recommended intake level. Therefore,

an increase in caloric intake means a lower benchmark

density.

Caloric Intake

Caloric and nutrient intake estimates from dietary

recall surveys usually represent a lower limit of actual

intakes because of potential under-reporting. Also, the

methodology of conducting dietary recall interviews

changed over the years (most notably in the 1994-96

CSFII) to improve the accuracy of reporting.

Therefore, some of the reported increases in caloric

and nutrient intakes over time may be due to changes

in survey methodology, which must be considered

when interpreting results.

Average caloric intake declined from 1,876 calories

per person per day in 1977-78 to 1,807 calories in

1987-88, then rose steadily to 2,043 calories in 1995

(table 5). The proportion of Americans 2 and older

who consumed the recommended energy allowance

(REA) or more rose from 22 percent in 1987-88 to 31

percent in 1995. 

Although caloric intakes for most individuals fall

below the average REA, overweight has become more

prevalent. More than one in three adults (35 percent)

in the United States were considered overweight in

1988-94, compared with one in every four adults in

1976-80 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).

Because overweight is associated with many chronic

diseases and adverse health outcomes, an increase is a

cause for public health concern. Decreased physical

activity and hence decreased energy expenditure may

also contribute to overweight (McPherson et al.). 

Some of the observed increase in caloric intake may be

due to increased eating out. Away-from-home food

was eaten at 16 percent of all meals and snacks in

1977-78 (table 2), and accounted for 18 percent of

total caloric intake (table 3). In 1995, the away-fromhome sector accounted for 27 percent of all meals and

snacks and 34 percent of total caloric intake. These

numbers suggest that, when eating out, people eat

either larger quantities or higher calorie foods or both

than when eating at home. Further, this tendency

appears to be increasing, since each percent of meals

and snacks away from home composed an average of

1.26 percent of total calories in 1995, up from 1.13

percent in 1977-78. By comparison, each percent of

meals and snacks at home contributed only 0.9 percent

to the total calories consumed in 1995.

As the number of meals and snacks eaten at fast-food

places and restaurants has increased over the past two

decades, so has the proportion of total calories conTable 5Caloric intake and sources for Americans,1 1977- 95

1977-78 1987-88 1989 1990 1991 1994 1995

Calories 

Average caloric intake 1,876 1,807 1,837 1,853 1,883 2,006 2,043

Percent

People consuming more than REA2 26 22 24 26 26 28 31

Portion of total calories:

At home 82 73 73 74 71 69 66

Away from home3 18 27 27 26 29 31 34

Restaurants 3 5 7 6 6 8 8

Fast foods 3 8 9 9 9 11 12

Schools4 3 3 2 2 3 2 2

Other public places 3 2 3 2 3 3 2

Others 6 9 7 8 9 7 9

1 Ages 2 and older, excluding pregnant and lactating women and those who did not provide complete dietary intake data.

2 See recommendations in table 4. REA = Recommended energy allowance (per day).

3 Away from home presents the aggregate of fast foods, restaurants, schools, other public places, and others.

4 Schools are classified as a separate category for children only; adults are included in “others.”

Compiled by Economic Research Service, USDA, from NFCS 1977-78, NFCS 1987-88, CSFII 1989-91, and CSFII 1994-95, first-day intake

data.
8 Away-From-Home Foods Increasingly Important to Quality of American Diet Economic Research Service/USDA

sumed from these locations (fig. 2). Whereas fast-food

places and restaurants each accounted for 3 percent of

total caloric intake in 1977-78, their shares of total

calories increased to 12 and 8 percent, respectively, in

1995. Schools share of total caloric intake remained

stable at 2-3 percent.

Fat and Saturated Fat

According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, fat

intake should not exceed 30 percent of total calories,

and saturated fat should be less than 10 percent of total

caloriesthe benchmark densities for fat and saturated

fat. 

Over the past two decades, Americans have eaten less

fatty foods.1 Fat provided an average of 33.6 percent

of total calories in 1995, still higher than the recommended 30-percent limit, but considerably less than the

41.1 percent of 1977-78 (table 6, fig. 3). Although fat

density declined for both home and away-from-home

foods, the home-food numbers were more promising.

In 1977-78, slightly more than 41 percent of the calories from both home and away-from-home foods were

from fat. By 1987-88, the fat density of home foods

had declined to 36.3 percent, compared with 38.7 percent for away-from-home foods. Since then, the fat

density of home foods declined steadily to 31.5 percent, but away-from-home foods declined only slightly

to 37.6 percent. 

Restaurant foods had a considerably higher fat density

than either fast foods or school foods in 1977-78, with

fat providing over 46 percent of calories (table 6, fig.

4). Although the fat density of restaurant foods

declined to 40.1 percent in 1995, the density remained

higher than for fast foods or school foods. The fat

density of fast foods also declined between 1977-78

and 1987-88, but the density has fluctuated slightly

below 40 percent since 1987-88. School foods fat

density has declined steadily from 40.1 percent to 35.7

percent between 1977-78 and 1995.

As with fat, the saturated fat density of American diets

declined steadily since 1987-88, when it was first

measured (table 6, fig. 5).2 Home foods typically had

a lower saturated fat density than away-from-home

77 87 89 90 91 94 95

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Percent 

Food away from home

Fast food

School

Restaurant

Compiled by USDA/ERS from NFCS 1977-78, NFCS 1987-88, CSFII 1989-91, and CSFII 1994-95, first-day data.

Figure 2

Contributions of away-from-home sources to total calories 

Of away-from-home food, fast foods supply the most calories

1 It should be noted, however, that total grams of fat consumed per

person per day has steadily increased since 1989 (table 6).

2 However, total grams of saturated fat consumed per person per

day has been fairly stable since 1990. 
Economic Research Service/USDA Away-From-Home Foods Increasingly Important to Quality of American Diet 9

Table 6Fat and saturated fat intake levels and nutrient densities of foods at home and away from home,

1977-95

Nutrient 1977-78 1987-88 1989 1990 1991 1994 1995

Fat Grams

Average daily intake 86.3 74.7 72.0 72.9 73.4 74.9 76.2

Percent of calories

Average intake 41.1 37.0 35.3 35.4 35.1 33.6 33.6

Percent

People meeting recommendation1 13 21 30 29 30 36 37

Percent of calories

Benchmark density1 30.0 30.0 30.0 30.0 30.0 30.0 30.0

Average fat density 41.2 37.0 35.3 35.4 35.1 33.6 33.6

Home foods 41.1 36.3 34.4 34.5 33.8 31.9 31.5

Away-from-home foods2 41.2 38.7 37.8 38.1 38.2 37.4 37.6

Restaurants 46.2 41.3 40.7 40.7 41.2 40.0 40.1

Fast-food places 41.6 39.7 39.7 39.6 38.8 39.9 39.3

Schools3 40.1 38.0 37.7 36.1 36.8 36.1 35.7

Other public places 41.4 41.2 34.8 40.9 42.3 30.3 32.6

Others 38.6 36.4 33.9 33.1 34.2 34.1 34.9

Saturated fat Grams

Average daily intake na 27.7 25.7 26.0 26.0 25.6 26.2

Percent of calories

Average intake na 13.8 12.6 12.6 12.4 11.5 11.5

Percent

People meeting recommendation1 na 17 29 29 31 40 39

Nutrient density Percent of calories

Benchmark density1 na 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.0

Average sat. fat density na 13.8 12.6 12.6 12.4 11.5 11.5

Home foods na 13.5 12.3 12.2 12.1 11.1 10.9

Away-from-home foods2 na 14.7 13.5 13.8 13.3 12.4 12.8

Restaurants na 15.5 14.3 13.5 14.0 12.3 12.5

Fast-food places na 15.4 14.2 14.5 13.1 13.6 13.8

Schools3 na 13.9 15.4 16.1 15.4 14.4 14.2

Other public places na 15.2 12.0 14.6 13.8 9.8 9.8

Others na 13.7 12.0 11.8 12.0 11.1 12.1

na = not available.

1 Recommendations are 30 percent or less of calories from fat and less than 10 percent of calories from saturated fat. These recommendations are the benchmark densities.

2 Away from home presents the aggregate of fast foods, restaurants, schools, other public places, and others.

3 Schools are classified as a separate category for children only; adults are included in “others.”

Compiled by Economic Research Service, USDA, from NFCS 1977-78, NFCS 1987-88, CSFII 1989-91, and CSFII 1994-95, first-day intake

data.
10 Away-From-Home Foods Increasingly Important to Quality of American Diet Economic Research Service/USDA

77 87 89 90 91 94 95

30

35

40

45

Percent 

Food away from home

All food

Food at home

Note: Benchmark fat density is 30 percent of calories from fat; it is recommended not to exceed 30 percent.

Compiled by USDA/ERS from NFCS 1977-78, NFCS 1987-88, CSFII 1989-91, and CSFII 1994-95, first-day intake data. 

77 87 89 90 91 94 95

30

35

40

45

50

Percent 

School

Fast food Restaurant

Figure 3

Calories from fat in different food sources

While fat content has dropped in all foods, only home foods have fallen nearly to the 30-percent benchmark

Figure 4

Calories from fat in away-from-home foods

Calories from fat have dropped for all sources of food away from home,

but remain high above the 30-percent benchmark

Note: Benchmarkk fat density is 30 percent of calories from fat; it is recommended not to exceed 30 percent.

Compiled by USDA/ERS from NFCS 1977-78, NFCS 1987-88, CSFII 1989-91, and CSFII 1994-95, first-day intake data.
Economic Research Service/USDA Away-From-Home Foods Increasingly Important to Quality of American Diet 11

foods, and the saturated fat density of both types of

foods experienced similar declines through 1994.

Between 1994 and 1995, the saturated fat density of

home foods continued to decline, but that of awayfrom-home foods rose slightly.

In 1987-88, restaurant and fast foods had similar saturated fat densities, higher than school foods (table 6,

fig. 6). Between 1987-88 and 1989, the saturated fat

density of both restaurant foods and fast foods

declined sharply. The saturated fat density of restaurant foods declined 3 percent by 1995, while the saturated fat density in fast foods fell, then rose. The saturated fat density in school foods rose from 13.9 percent

of total calories in 1987-88 to 16.1 percent in 1990,

then declined steadily to 14.2 percent in 1995higher

than the saturated fat density of foods at restaurants

and fast-food places.

Overall, the fat and saturated fat densities of both

home and away-from-home foods have declined,

although the away-from-home sector has shown less

improvement. As the away-from-home sector becomes

increasingly important in overall diet, the fat and saturated fat densities of away-from-home foods will be a

key to consumers progress in reducing their levels of

fat and saturated fat intake.

Cholesterol

Many health authorities recommend that daily cholesterol intake should not exceed 300 milligrams (mg),

and that number is used by the U.S. Food and Drug

Administration (FDA) to set the Daily Value for nutrition labeling (Kurtzweil). Because this recommended

cholesterol intake is fixed regardless of caloric intake,

and because average caloric intake has increased since

1987-88, the benchmark cholesterol density has

declined (table 7, fig. 7).

In 1987-88, when the cholesterol content of

Americans diets was first measured, average cholesterol intake was 286 mg per person per day. In 1995,

it was 268 mg. Between 1987-88 and 1990, the cholesterol density of home foods was actually higher than

away-from-home foods. However, the relationship

reversed after 1990, indicating that consumers had

more successfully reduced their cholesterol intake

from home foods than from away-from-home foods.

Nevertheless, cholesterol densities in both home and

away-from-home foods have been markedly reduced

during the past decade. Restaurant food, fast food, and

school food all saw lower cholesterol (table 7, fig. 8).

87 89 90 91 94 95

10

11

12

13

14

15

Percent 

Food at home All food

Note: Benchmark fat density is 10 percent of calories from saturated fat; 

it is recommended to have less than 10 percent of calories from saturated fat.

Saturated fat was first measured in 1987.

Compiled by USDA/ERS from NFCS 1987-88, CSFII 1989-91, 

and CSFII 1994-95, first-day intake data.

Food away from home

Figure 5

Calories from saturated fat in different food sources 

Americans are eating foods with less saturated fat 

at and away from home

87 89 90 91 94 95

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

Percent 

Fast food

School

Restaurant

Figure 6

Calories from saturated fat in away-from-home foods

Calories from saturated fat in restaurant foods had 

declined more than other away-from-home foods

Note: Benchmark saturated fat density is 10 percent of calories from saturated 

fat; it is recommended to have less than 10 percent of calories from saturated 

fat. Saturated fat was first measured in 1987.

Compiled by USDA/ERS from NFCS 1987-88, CSFII 1989-91, and CSFII 

1994-95, first-day intake data.
12 Away-From-Home Foods Increasingly Important to Quality of American Diet Economic Research Service/USDA

87 89 90 91 94 95

120

130

140

150

160

170

All food

Food at home

Note: Cholesterol intake was first measured in 1987. Healthful diets require 

the density to remain below the benchmark.

Compiled by USDA/ERS from NFCS 1987-88, CSFII 1989-91, and CSFII 

1994-95, first-day intake data.

Food away 

from home

Benchmark 

cholesterol 

density

87 89 90 91 94 95

100

150

200

250

Restaurant

Fast food

Benchmark cholesterol density

School

Note: Cholesterol intake was first measured in 1987. Healthful diets require 

the density to remain below the benchmark.

Compiled by USDA/ERS from NFCS 1987-88, CSFII 1989-91, and CSFII 

1994-95, first-day intake data.

Table 7Cholesterol intake and density of foods at home and away from home, 1987-95

1987-88 1989 1990 1991 1994 1995

Milligrams 

Average daily intake 286 282 272 265 260 268

Percent

People meeting recommendation1 66 66 70 70 71 69

Milligrams per 1,000 calories

Benchmark density2 166 163 162 159 150 147

Average cholesterol density 158 153 147 141 130 131

Home foods 161 155 148 140 127 129

Away-from-home foods3 151 149 143 143 134 134

Restaurants 215 207 195 187 187 176

Fast-food places 138 137 123 136 124 124

Schools4 121 116 107 123 101 106

Other public places 160 161 189 152 103 114

Others 131 116 117 116 113 122

1 Recommendation is 300 milligrams of cholesterol per day (see table 4).

2 Benchmark densities are obtained by dividing the recommended intake for each nutrient by the individual’s reported food

energy intake. The benchmark density for specific groups of individuals is the ratio of the sum of recommended intakes for all

individuals to the sum of their food energy intakes. 

3 Away from home presents the aggregate of fast foods, restaurants, schools, other public places, and others.

4 Schools are classified as a separate category for children only; adults are included in “others.”

Compiled by Economic Research Service, USDA, from NFCS 1987-88, CSFII 1989-91, and CSFII 1994-95, first-day intake

data.

Figure 7

Cholesterol density of Americans diets

Americans cholesterol levels consistently remain safely

below benchmark level

Mg per 1,000 calories

Figure 8

Cholesterol density of away-from-home foods

Restaurant foods have much higher cholesterol than

recommended levels

Mg per 1,000 calories
Economic Research Service/USDA Away-From-Home Foods Increasingly Important to Quality of American Diet 13

Average cholesterol density has been below the benchmark density since 1987-88, indicating that average

cholesterol intake was below the recommended limit

of 300 mg per day. Sixty-six percent of Americans 2

and older met the cholesterol guideline in 1987-88; by

1990, 70 percent did so, with little change since.

Those who exceed 300 mg of cholesterol per day are

mostly teenage boys and men, who tend to eat more

than others yet face identical cholesterol recommendations. In 1995, males ages 12-39 consumed an average

of 2,763 calories per day, for which the benchmark

cholesterol density is 109 mg per 1,000 calories. The

cholesterol densities for home and away-from-home

foods for that group were 122 and 127 mg, respectively. To meet the cholesterol guideline, male adolescents

and adults have to reduce the cholesterol content of

foods at home and away-from-home. Restaurant foods

have especially high cholesterol density, 158 mg per

1,000 calories in 1995. 

Sodium

The National Academy of Sciences Diet and Health

recommends fewer than 2,400 mg of sodium per day,

regardless of age and gender (National Research

Council). As with cholesterol, those who consume

more calories have lower benchmarks than do those

consuming fewer calories. Sodium intakes in the

NFCS and CSFII include sodium occurring naturally

in foods, as well as that added via food processing, and

used in food preparation. They do not include sodium

added at the table. The USDA surveys first measured

sodium content in 1987-88.

Consumers overdo it on sodium consumption (table 8,

fig. 9). Because of rising caloric intake, sodium

benchmark density has declined over time, while average daily sodium intake increased from 3,023 mg in

1987-88 to 3,348 mg in 1995. The sodium densities of

home and away-from-home foods are fairly similar,

both substantially higher than the benchmark density.

More important, the gap between the sodium density

and the benchmark density has widened during the

past two decades. As a result, Americans meeting the

sodium recommendation declined from 41 percent of

the population in 1987-88 to 34 percent in 1995.

The sodium density of restaurant foods rose sharply

between 1989 and 1990, but declined since 1991 (table

8, fig. 10). The sodium density of fast foods increased

during the past decade. The sodium density of school

foods declined during the late 1980s, but returned to

the 1987-88 level in 1994. 

Overconsumption of sodium is a problem for most

consumers except young children and elderly women,

groups who tend to consume less calories than others.

The problem is more severe for males than females

because of their larger diets. Males ages 12-39, for

example, had a sodium density of 1,646 mg per 1,000

calories in 1995, 89 percent above their benchmark

sodium density of 869 mg. Obviously, consumers

have to exert greater efforts to reduce the sodium density of home and away-from-home foods.

Calcium

The 1989 Recommended Daily Allowances (RDA) for

calcium, used in this analysis, were 1,200 mg for those

ages 11-24 and 800 mg for all others. In August 1997,

the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of

Sciences issued new dietary recommendations for several nutrients, including calcium. The report raises the

recommended calcium intakes for many Americans,

especially children 9 and older and adults 25 and older.

Calcium density rose between 1977-78 and 1990, then

declined (table 9, fig. 11). Meanwhile, rising caloric

intake since 1987-88 has been accompanied by a

declining benchmark calcium density, resulting in a

narrower gap between the two. A higher proportion of

Americans met the 1989 calcium RDA in 1995 than in

1977-78.

Home foods calcium density showed a general

increase while the calcium density of away-from-home

foods declined slightly. In 1995, the calcium density

of home foods was 425 mg per 1,000 calories, fairly

close to the benchmark density. Away-from-home

foodswhich contributed 34 percent of total caloric

intake in 1995had a calcium density of 343 mg, 21

percent below the benchmark. 

The calcium density of school foods has always been

considerably higher than restaurant or fast foods and
14 Away-From-Home Foods Increasingly Important to Quality of American Diet Economic Research Service/USDA

87 89 90 91 94 95

1,100

1,200

1,300

1,400

1,500

1,600

1,700

1,800

1,900

All food

Note: Sodium intake was first measured in 1987. Healthful diets require the 

density to remain below the benchmark.

Compiled by USDA/ERS from NFCS 1987-88, CSFII 1989-91, 

and CSFII 1994-95, first-day intake data.

Food away 

from home

Food 

at home

Benchmark 

sodium density

87 89 90 91 94 95

1,500

1,600

1,700

1,800

1,900

2,000

2,100

Restaurant

Fast food

School

Table 8Sodium intake and density of foods at home and away from home, 1977-95

Item 1987-88 1989 1990 1991 1994 1995

Milligrams 

Average daily intake 3,023 3,090 3,081 3,168 3,313 3,348

Percent

People meeting recommendation1 41 40 40 39 36 34

Milligrams per 1,000 calories

Benchmark density 2 1,328 1,307 1,296 1,275 1,196 1,175

Average sodium density 1,672 1,681 1,662 1,681 1,651 1,637

Home foods 1,678 1,679 1,660 1,670 1,630 1,630

Away-from-home foods 3 1,656 1,686 1,668 1,708 1,695 1,651

Restaurants 1,824 1,817 2,017 2,019 1,898 1,873

Fast-food places 1,575 1,654 1,616 1,628 1,724 1,674

Schools 4 1,604 1,526 1,529 1,512 1,601 1,576

Other public places 1,911 1,807 1,657 1,738 1,469 1,548

Others 1,590 1,607 1,402 1,579 1,551 1,476

1 Recommendation is 2,400 milligrams of sodium per day (see table 4). 

2 Benchmark densities are obtained by dividing the recommended intake for each nutrient by the individual’s reported food energy intake. The

benchmark density for specific groups of individuals is the ratio of the sum of recommended intakes for all individuals to the sum of their food

energy intakes. 

3 Away from home presents the aggregate of fast foods, restaurants, schools, other public places, and others.

4 Schools are classified as a separate category for children only; adults are included in “others.”

Compiled by Economic Research Service, USDA, from NFCS 1987-88, CSFII 1989-91, and CSFII 1994-95, first-day intake data. 

Note: Sodium was first measured in 1987. Healthful diets require the density to

remain below the benchmark; the benchmark was 1,175 mg per 1,000 calories in

1995.

Compiled by USDA/ERS from NFCS 1987-88, CSFII 1989-91, and CSFII 1994-

95, first-day intake data.

Figure 9

Sodium density of Americans diets

Americans sodium intake remains high above

the recommended levels

Mg per 1,000 calories

Figure 10

Sodium density of away-from-home foods

Restaurant foods contain much more sodium 

than other away-from-home foods

Mg per 1,000 calories
Economic Research Service/USDA Away-From-Home Foods Increasingly Important to Quality of American Diet 15

Table 9Calcium intake and density of foods at home and away from home, 1977-95

1977-78 1987-88 1989 1990 1991 1994 1995

Milligrams 

Average daily intake 743 756 773 791 785 794 813

People meeting recommendation1 31 32 33 36 33 35 36

Milligrams per 1,000 calories

Benchmark density 2 481 491 479 475 466 439 432

Average calcium density 396 418 420 426 416 395 397

Home foods 402 439 444 448 446 421 425

Away-from-home foods 3 368 360 356 365 350 337 343

Restaurants 280 302 315 295 312 301 291

Fast-food places 304 342 338 345 305 350 353

Schools 4 645 648 596 707 676 657 689

Other public places 341 346 430 368 316 302 317

Others 308 330 326 316 321 286 296

1 Daily recommendation is 800 mg for individuals ages 2-10 or older than 24; 1,200 mg for individuals ages 11-24 (see table 4).

2 Benchmark densities are obtained by dividing the recommended intake for each nutrient by the individual’s reported food energy intake. The

benchmark density for specific groups of individuals is the ratio of the sum of recommended intakes for all individuals to the sum of their food

energy intakes. 

3 Away from home presents the aggregate of fast foods, restaurants, schools, other public places, and others.

4 Schools are classified as a separate category for children only; adults are included in “others.”

Compiled by USDA/ERS from NFCS 1977-78, NFCS 1987-88, CSFII 1989-91, and CSFII 1994-95, first-day intake data.

77 87 89 90 91 94 95

300

350

400

450

500

550

Benchmark calcium density

Food at home

All food

Food away from home

Note: Healthful diets require the density to be above the benchmark.

Compiled by USDA/ERS from NFCS 1977-78, NFCS 1987-88, CSFII 1989-91, and CSFII 1994-95, first-day intake data.

Figure 11

Calcium density in different sources of food

Home foods are much more calcium rich than away-from home foods,

yet remain lower than benchmark levels

Mg per 1,000 calories
16 Away-From-Home Foods Increasingly Important to Quality of American Diet Economic Research Service/USDA

even home foods (table 9, fig. 12). School foods had a

calcium density of 689 mg in 1995, considerably higher than the 425 mg for home foods, the 353 mg for fast

foods, or the 291 mg for restaurant foods. Clearly, the

trend toward increased consumption of fast foods or

restaurant foods will slow any progress in reaching the

guideline for calcium.

Insufficient calcium intake is a more severe problem

for teenage girls and women because of their higher

calcium requirements and their lower food consumption. In 1995, only 18 percent of teenage girls ages

12-17 met their calcium RDAs. Foods eaten by

teenage girls had an average calcium density of 413

mg, 64 percent of their benchmark density of 642 mg.

School foods eaten by teenage girls had a calcium density of 544 mg, while school foods eaten by teenage

boys and children ages 6-11 had calcium densities of

647 and 759 mg, respectively. 

Dietary Fiber

The American Health Foundation recommends a

dietary fiber intake of age plus five for those ages 2-

20 (Williams), and the FDA recommends a Daily

Value (DV) of 11.5 grams per 1,000 calories

(Kurtzweil). We use the age plus five for 2- to 20-

year-olds, and FDAs DV for those 21 and older (table

4). 

Over the past decade, fiber densities of home and

away-from-home foods have increased slightly, but

still remain far below the benchmark (table 10, fig.

13). Home foods had a fiber density of 8.1 grams per

1,000 calories in 1995, about three-fourths of the

benchmark fiber density, and away-from-home foods

had a fiber density of 6.1 grams. In 1995, fiber intake

averaged 15.2 grams per day, and only 24 percent of

Americans met the fiber intake recommendations.

School foods have had the highest fiber density of the

three main sources of away-from-home foods (table

10, fig. 14). However, after peaking at 8.0 grams per

1,000 calories in 1990, the fiber density of school

foods fell to 7.1 grams in 1995. Fast foods have

shown a general upward trend, but its 5.6 grams in

1995 was the lowest of all foods. The fiber density of

restaurant foods increased from 5.8 grams in 1987-88

to 7.0 grams in 1994, then fell to 6.2 grams in 1995.

Increased popularity in dining at fast-food places and

restaurants may reverse the little progress Americans

have made in increasing their fiber intake. 

77 87 89 90 91 94 95

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

School

Fast food

Restaurant

Note: Healthful diets require the density to be above the benchmark; the benchmark was 432 mg per 1,000 calories in 1995.

Compiled by USDA/ERS from NFCS 1977-78, NFCS 1987-88, CSFII 1989-91, and CSFII 1994-95, first-day intake data.

Figure 12

Calcium density of away-from-home foods

School foods are rich in calcium relative to all other foods

Mg per 1,000 calories
Economic Research Service/USDA Away-From-Home Foods Increasingly Important to Quality of American Diet 17

Table 10Fiber intake and density of foods at home and away from home, 1987-95

1987-88 1989 1990 1991 1994 1995

Grams 

Average intake 12.7 13.7 13.1 14.0 15.2 15.2

Percent

People meeting recommendation1 18 20 20 20 24 24

Grams per 1,000 calories

Benchmark density2 10.7 10.7 10.5 10.6 10.5 10.4

Average fiber density 7.0 7.4 7.1 7.4 7.6 7.4

Home foods 7.5 7.9 7.4 7.9 8.1 8.1

Away-from-home foods3 5.8 6.2 6.0 6.4 6.5 6.1

Restaurants 5.8 6.0 6.2 6.7 7.0 6.2

Fast-food places 5.0 5.5 5.3 5.3 5.7 5.6

Schools4 7.6 7.5 8.0 7.6 7.1 7.1

Other public places 6.9 7.2 6.1 6.3 6.5 6.8

Others 5.9 6.6 5.8 6.9 6.8 6.2

1 Daily recommendation is “age+5” for individuals age 2-20, and 11.5 grams per 1,000 calories for individuals older than 20 (see table 4).

2 Benchmark densities are obtained by dividing the recommended intake for each nutrient by the individual’s actual food energy intake. The

benchmark density for specific groups of individuals is the ratio of the sum of recommended intakes for all individuals to the sum of their food

energy intakes. 

3 Away from home presents the aggregate of fast foods, restaurants, schools, other public places, and others.

4 Schools are classified as a separate category for children only; adults are included in “others.” 

Compiled by Economic Research Service, USDA, from NFCS 1977-78, NFCS 1987-88, CSFII 1989-91, and CSFII 1994-95, first-day intake

data.

87 89 90 91 94 95

4

5

6

7

8

9

School

Restaurant

Fast food

Note: Dietary fiber was first measured in 1987. Healthful diets require the density N t Di t fib fi t d i 1987 H lthf l di t i th

to be above the benchmark; the benchmark was 10.4 grams per 1,000 calories in

1995.

Compiled by USDA/ERS from NFCS 1987-88, CSFII 1989-91, and CSFII 1994-

95, first-day intake data.

87 89 90 91 94 95

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

Benchmark fiber density

Food at home

All food

Food away from home

Note: Dietary fiber was first measured in 1987. Healthful diets require the 

density to be above the benchmark. Compiled by USDA/ERS from NFCS 

1987-88, CSFII 1989-91, and CSFII 1994-95, first-day intake data.

Figure 13

Fiber density of foods from different sources

Americans have a long way to go to reach the recommended 

dietary fiber intake

Grams per 1,000 calories

Figure 14

Fiber density of away-from-home foods

All away-from-home foods contain less dietary

fiber than recommended

Grams per 1,000 calories
18 Away-From-Home Foods Increasingly Important to Quality of American Diet Economic Research Service/USDA

Dietary Iron

The RDAs for iron are 12 mg for males ages 11-18, 15

mg for females 11-50, and 10 mg for children ages 2-

10 (National Research Council). Over the past two

decades, iron density has risen more rapidly for home

foods than for away-from-home foods (table 11, fig.

15), in part because of increased home consumption of

iron-fortified breakfast cereals.

As with other nutrients, rising caloric intake has

decreased the iron benchmark density over time.

Meanwhile, iron densities of both home and awayfrom-home foods have risen. The result is that average

daily dietary iron consumption of children and adults

has exceeded the RDAs since 1987-88. In 1995, 61

percent of children and adults met their dietary iron

RDAs, compared with only 42 percent in 1977-78.

Iron densities of fast foods, schools foods, and restaurant foods have shown a general upward trend over the

past two decades (table 11, fig. 16). Although restaurant foods have a higher iron density than fast foods or

school foods, the differences between these three

major sources of away-from-home foods have narrowed over time.

While most individuals consume recommended

amounts of dietary iron, low iron intake is common

among teenage girls and women, who have the highest

requirements and typically low food consumption. For

example, only one in every three women ages 18-39

met their iron RDAs in 1995. Home foods consumed

by those women had an iron density of 8.2 mg per

1,000 calories and away-from-home foods had 6.0 mg

of dietary iron, both lower than the benchmark 8.4 mg

for females 11-50. The increased popularity of dining

out may exacerbate the problem for some women.

77 87 89 90 91 94 95

5

6

7

8

9

Food at home

All food

Benchmark iron density

Food away from home

Note: Healthful diets require the density to be above the benchmark.

Compiled by USDA/ERS from NFCS 1977-87, NFCS 1987-88, CSFII 1989-91, and CSFII 1994-95, first-day intake data.

Figure 15

Iron density of foods from different sources

Dietary iron intake in Americans diets has reached and surpassed benchmark levels

Mg per 1,000 calories
Economic Research Service/USDA Away-From-Home Foods Increasingly Important to Quality of American Diet 19

Table 11Iron intake and density of foods at home and away from home, 1977-95

1977-78 1987-88 1989 1990 1991 1994 1995

Milligrams 

Average daily intake 11.3 12.9 13.5 13.6 13.7 15.1 15.7

Percent

People meeting recommendation1 42 47 50 51 50 57 61

Milligrams per 1,000 calories

Benchmark density2 6.3 6.4 6.3 6.3 6.2 5.8 5.7

Average iron density 6.0 7.1 7.4 7.3 7.3 7.5 7.7

Home foods 6.2 7.6 7.9 7.8 7.8 8.1 8.4

Away-from-home foods3 5.3 5.9 5.9 6.0 6.2 6.3 6.3

Restaurants 5.8 6.3 5.9 6.6 6.3 6.7 6.5

Fast-food places 5.3 5.7 6.1 6.4 6.2 6.3 6.3

Schools4 5.0 5.4 5.5 5.6 6.1 6.3 6.1

Other public places 5.4 6.1 5.9 5.7 5.6 5.3 5.5

Others 5.2 5.9 5.8 4.8 6.1 6.1 6.4

1 Daily recommendation is 10 mg for individuals ages 2-10, males older than 18, and females older than 50; 12 mg for males 11-18; and 15 mg

for females ages 11-50 (see table 4). 

2 Benchmark densities are obtained by dividing the recommended intake for each nutrient by the individual’s actual food energy intake. The

benchmark density for specific groups of individuals is the ratio of the sum of recommended intakes for all individuals to the sum of their food

energy intakes. 

3 Away from home presents the aggregate of fast foods, restaurants, schools, other public places, and others.

4 Schools are classified as a separate category for children only; adults are included in “others.”

Compiled by USDA/ERS from NFCS 1977-78, NFCS 1987-88, CSFII 1989-91, and CSFII 1994-95, first-day intake data.

77 87 89 90 91 94 95

4.5

5

5.5

6

6.5

7

Restaurant

Fast food

School

Note: Healthful diets require the density to be above the benchmark; the benchmark was 5.7 grams per 1,000 calories in 1995.

Compiled by USDA/ERS from NFCS 1977-78, NFCS 1987-88, CSFII 1989-91, and CSFII 1994-95, first-day intake data.

Figure 16

Iron density of away-from-home foods

Americans are consuming more iron-rich foods when eating out

Grams per 1,000 calories
20 Away-From-Home Foods Increasingly Important to Quality of American Diet Economic Research Service/USDA

Conclusions 

To improve the nutritional quality of their diets,

Americans must increase intakes of some nutrients and

food components, such as fiber, calcium, and iron, and

reduce intakes of other nutrients, such as fat, saturated

fat, cholesterol, and sodium. Over the past two

decades, Americans have reduced the densities of fat,

saturated fat, and cholesterol in their foods and

increased the iron density, but have made little

progress in increasing the fiber and calcium density of

their foods and in reducing the sodium density.

Overall, away-from-home foods have shown smaller

nutritional improvements than home foods. Awayfrom-home foods generally contain more of the nutrients overconsumed and less of the nutrients underconsumed by Americans. As a result, the increased popularity of dining out may make it more difficult for

Americans to improve the overall nutritional quality of

their diets, particularly in terms of reducing intakes of

fat and saturated fat. For example, we calculate that if

food away from home had the same average nutritional

densities as food at home in 1995, Americans would

have reduced their fat intake to 31.5 percent of calories

from fat (instead of 33.6 percent) and their saturated

fat intake to 10.9 percent of calories from saturated fat

(instead of 11.5 percent). In addition, Americans

would have increased their consumption of calcium by

7 percent and their consumption of fiber and iron by 9

percent each. Cholesterol and sodium intakes would

not have changed much.

Since the trend of increasing eating out is expected to

continue, Americans could adopt nutrition policy, educational programs, and promotion strategies to improve

both the nutritional quality of food away from home

and consumers food choices when eating out. Some

policy changes address nutritional improvements for

school meals. The Healthy Meals for Healthy

Americans Act of 1994 (Public Law 103-448) now

requires the National School Lunch and School

Breakfast Programs to meet the Dietary Guidelines for

Americans over a week. In addition, USDAs Team

Nutrition provides nutrition education through schools,

communities, and the media to educate and motivate

children about making healthier food choices at and

outside of school.

For meals eaten at restaurants, fast-food places, and

other foodservice establishments, however, other

strategies would be more effective. Food away from

home does not have to differ nutritionally from food

prepared at home. Indeed, professional chefs and

foodservice organizations may be particularly adept at

preparing tasty meals that meet dietary recommendations. However, consumer demand for such meals

must be strong enough to create an economic incentive

for increased marketing of nutritious items by restaurants, fast food, and other foodservice establishments.

Currently, it appears that consumers are more likely to

value the nutritional properties of foods when eating at

home than when eating away from home. Several fastfood chains introduced reduced-fat hamburgers, for

example, but later withdrew them because they did not

sell. And, a number of restaurant operators claim that

consumers say they want healthful foods, but typically

do not order them (Parseghian). 

Consumers may have different attitudes about food

away from home than food at home. Consumers may

believe that it is less important to consider the nutritional quality of food away from home or be less willing to sacrifice taste when eating outthey might consider eating out an occasional treat that does not have

the same effect on overall diet as food at home. Or perhaps consumers believe they can offset the excess

nutrients consumed away from home by eating less at

home. Such attitudes may have been reasonable 20

years ago, when eating out was less frequent, but, as

eating out becomes more common, those beliefs

become increasingly inappropriate. Consumers may

not realize the extent to which eating out has become a

part of their usual diets or the effect of away-fromhome food on overall diet quality. To the degree that

consumer attitudes are a barrier to change, nutrition

education and promotion strategies may be able to

inform consumers of the effect of away-from-home

food on overall diet.

Differences in information may also impede healthful

eating, in that the nutritional quality of away-fromhome foods may be less apparent to consumers than

for food at home, especially for foods consumers may

not prepare themselves. In addition, traditional nutrition education focused on knowledge and skills that

relate to home food purchase and preparation, such as
Economic Research Service/USDA Away-From-Home Foods Increasingly Important to Quality of American Diet 21

reduced-fat cookies. With people eating out more

often, nutrition intervention activities can focus on the

attitudes, knowledge, and skills consumers need to

make more healthful food choices when eating away

from home.
22 Away-From-Home Foods Increasingly Important to Quality of American Diet Economic Research Service/USDA

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