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USDA School Meal Programs: How and Why the Cost of Food Purchases Varies Across Locales
ERR-260, November 14, 2018An analysis of how--and why--food costs for school meals provided by Federal programs vary by region.
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The Association Between Restaurant Menu Label Use and Caloric Intake
ERR-259, October 31, 2018Individuals who report seeing and using nutrition information on restaurant menus consume significantly fewer total calories per day than individuals who report seeing the information but not using it.
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New National Menu Labeling Provides Information Consumers Can Use To Help Manage Their Calorie Intake
Amber Waves, October 31, 2018Newly implemented Federal regulations require chain restaurants to post calorie contents on menus. ERS's analysis of 2007-14 data found that total daily calorie intakes were lower for consumers who saw and used nutrition or health information on restaurant menus relative to those who saw but did not use the information.
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Adult Eating and Health Patterns: Evidence From the 2014-16 Eating & Health Module of the American Time Use Survey
EIB-198, October 30, 2018With data from the 2014-16 Eating & Health Module (EHM) of the American Time Use Survey (ATUS), this report presents national statistics on eating and health patterns for the U.S. adult population as a whole and for a wide variety of important demographic subgroups. It also examines whether and how certain behaviors have changed over time, using data from the 2006-08 EHM.
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Selected Charts from Ag and Food Statistics: Charting the Essentials, October 2018
AP-080, October 30, 2018This collection of charts and maps presents examples of key statistics on the farm sector, food spending and prices, food security, rural communities, agricultural production and trade, the interaction of agriculture and natural resources, and more found in ERS's regularly updated web product, Ag and Food Statistics: Charting the Essentials.
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Examining Food Store Scanner Data: A Comparison of the IRI InfoScan Data with Other Data Sets, 2008–2012
TB-1949, October 17, 2018While the number of stores and sales revenue reported in InfoScan is lower than other datasets, both measures of coverage vary substantially by year and category (i.e., grocery, liquor, drug), and also across geographic areas.
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Both At Home and Away, Americans Are Choosing More Lower Fat Foods Than They Did 35 Years Ago
Amber Waves, October 01, 2018Analysis of national survey data found that between 1977-78 and 2011-14, declines in the share of calories coming from fat were largest for at-home foods and foods served in schools and day care facilities.
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America’s Eating Habits: Food Away From Home
EIB-196, September 27, 2018ERS researchers explore trends in the growing availability of food away from home (FAFH) and consumers' expanding array of FAFH choices.
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Measuring the Value of the U.S. Food System: Revisions to the Food Expenditure Series
TB-1948, September 20, 2018ERS researchers updated methods and sources used in the Food Expenditure Series, which tracks annual and monthly trends in the U.S. food system, revising estimates back to 1997, introducing "advance" estimates, and establishing a release timetable.
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Higher Incomes and Greater Time Constraints Lead to Purchasing More Convenience Foods
Amber Waves, June 27, 2018Greater time constraints due to employment and childcare lead to higher spending on convenience foods—both restaurants foods and ready-to-eat foods from grocery stores.
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Consumers Balance Time and Money in Purchasing Convenience Foods
ERR-251, June 27, 2018ERS study examines how consumers' financial resources, time constraints, prices, and the food environment in which they live influence their purchases of restaurant meals and food from grocery stores.
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Use of Nutrition Information and the Food Healthfulness Gap
Amber Waves, May 07, 2018A recent ERS study found that the nutritional quality of purchases from grocery stores and other food stores increased with nutrition information use.
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The Association Between Nutrition Information Use and the Healthfulness of Food Acquisitions
ERR-247, April 19, 2018The nutritional quality of foods acquired for at-home consumption increases with the level of a household's use of nutrition information. This correlation does not hold for foods acquired for away-from-home consumption.
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Distance to Grocery Stores and Vehicle Access Influence Food Spending by Low-Income Households at Convenience Stores
Amber Waves, March 05, 2018Low-income households with more difficult access to large grocery stores spent a similar share of their food budgets at these stores—but a greater share at convenience, dollar, and drugstores—compared with households with easier access.
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Nutritional Quality of Foods Acquired by Americans: Findings From USDA’s National Household Food Acquisition and Purchase Survey
EIB-188, February 21, 2018ERS investigates possible influences on the foods Americans purchase or otherwise acquire, including consumer income levels, food stores/sources, food-source access, and participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
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Supermarkets, Schools, and Social Gatherings: Where Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Other U.S. Households Acquire Their Foods Correlates With Nutritional Quality
Amber Waves, February 21, 2018A recent ERS study found that SNAP households acquire about the same amount of calories per adult equivalent as non-SNAP households, while spending fewer dollars and relying more on school meals and food from family and friends.
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Yogurt Products and Breakfast Cereals Increasing Their Fiber Contents
Amber Waves, February 05, 2018Average fiber levels for yogurt products and breakfast cereals rose by 20.2 and 6.9 percent, respectively, over 2008-12 as new products with higher fiber contents replaced products dropped from grocery store shelves.
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USDA's National Household Food Acquisition and Purchase Survey: Methodology for Imputing Missing Quantities To Calculate Healthy Eating Index-2010 Scores and Sort Foods Into ERS Food Groups
TB-1947, January 31, 2018ERS researchers developed a method for imputing food quantities missing from FoodAPS survey data to assess effects of economic and sociodemographic factors on food intake.
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Design Issues in USDA's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: Looking Ahead by Looking Back
ERR-243, January 25, 2018Six major issues currently facing the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program are explored in the context of changes that have shaped the program's history.
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Eligibility Requirements for SNAP Retailers: Balancing Access, Nutrition, and Integrity
Amber Waves, January 25, 2018Tighter standards for food stores authorized to redeem SNAP benefits have implications for small retailers and could decrease the number of SNAP-authorized stores, which may affect participant access.