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PICTURE OF THE WEEK: American Food Trends

Three of every four American adults are eating dinner at home, but preparing it from scratch is now the choice of only one-in-three, and restaurant take-out has overtaken sit-down dining. This is according to the latest issue of "Food Technology" magazine and its cover story-- "What, When, and Where America Eats"--a compilation of the latest trend studies in U.S. food consumption.

In 2005, the average American ate 80 meals at restaurants, a drop of 18 percent from 1985. But over the same period, the selection of take-home meals rose 72 percent to 57 meals a year. And while restaurant take-out climbs in popularity, supermarket take-out is also a force. Forty-two percent of adults are purchasing supermarket take-out each month--a 12 percent surge in the past two years.

Here are some other interesting trends included in the feature:

- The most popular ethnic food remains Italian. But a 10 percent surge by adults naming it their favorite has Mexican food fighting for the top spot.

- 4 of 10 restaurant-chain chefs think portion size will be a new major trend. More than 3 in 10 expect comfort foods (i.e., meatloaf, macaroni and cheese, pot roast) to be a driver.

- No- and low-fat foods have slimmed to single-digit growth, but it’s still a $32-billion segment--more than twice the size of the widely acclaimed organic foods category.

- Coffee is the No. 1 consumed breakfast food--by 53 percent of Americans. Now quick service restaurants are bringing designer brands to their menus.

- There are more U.S. Chinese restaurants than McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and Burger Kings combined.

- Vegetable consumption is falling by two percent, but fresh fruit is rebounding after 14 years in decline. Fresh fruit is the No. 1 snack of kids age 2-12. "Food Technology" is published by the Institute of Food Technologists, the international not-for-profit scientific association for professionals who research, regulate and make the food we eat. It is accessible online at www.ift.org/foodtechnology.

Article courtesy of USNewswire.com

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