Eating Habits

Eating Out

Today, more and more families are eating out, but it’s difficult to find healthy options and appropriate portion sizes.

Eating Out More: Thirty years ago, most meals were prepared and eaten at home. In 2004, Americans spent over ten times more eating out than in 1974.^[13] Of the money spent eating out, over half of it is spent on fast food.^[14] Over the last thirty years Americans’ spending on fast food has increased from $6 billion^[15] to $110 billion - or more than 18-fold.^[16]
- Choose grilled chicken or chicken salad instead of a fried chicken sandwich. If you’re going for fast food, skip the order of fries and order low-fat or fat-free milk (instead of soda) for the kids. View More Tips for Making Take-Out Healthier
Kids and Fast Food: The average teen eats fast food twice a week.^[17]
- Over a 15 year study, adults who ate fast food more than twice a week gained 10 pounds more than those who ate fast food less than once a week.^[18]
- Choosing healthy options at restaurants that your children will actually eat.
Portions are Growing: Kids are eating more than they need, which means they are getting extra calories. Adolescents today are eating on average 8% more than they were less than thirty years ago.^[19]
- Taking control of portion sizes.

Beverages are often overlooked, but they are a source of many hidden calories in people’s diets.

Too Much Sugar: The USDA recommends eating no more than 10 teaspoons of added sugar per day. One can of soda is over one and a half times that!
Taking Bigger Gulps: Boys today drink, on average, over two 12 ounce sodas a day, with girls averaging almost two a day.
Two Sodas a Day: A child who drinks two cans of soda per day consumes about eighteen teaspoons of sugar per day just from soda.

Unhealthy foods and beverages are available throughout the day in many schools across the country.

Poor Nutrition: Only 3 out of 10 of high school seniors report eating green vegetables “nearly every day or more.”^[22]
- Tips to Boost Fruits & Veggies
Marketing to Kids: Food and beverage marketing can enter schools via fast food retailers on campus, televisions in classrooms and advertising in vending machines.
Unregulated Nutrition: Foods offered in school vending machines are often of little nutritional value and can be loaded with fats, sugars, salt and calories.^[23]
- Tips for a Healthier Lunchbox