Cooking is easy, but not easier than not cooking
Comedian Maria Bamford has a routine that begins with the line, "Everyone says how easy cooking is, but it is not any easier than not cooking."
Many Americans apparently agree with Bamford, as a look at recently published statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate that grocery retailers are losing the battle to foodservice operators over the last couple of years.
The data, from the annual consumer expenditures survey, shows that 2015 consumer expenditures for food consumed at home rose a tiny 1.1% compared with 2014 and were up less than 1% compared with 2013.
On the other hand, 2015 consumer expenditures for food away from home rose 7.9% compared with 2014 and were 15% higher than 2013.
Still, the amount spent by Americans for food consumed at home remains greater than expenditures on food away from home. The 2015 Consumer Expenditures survey shows the average amount spent by American consumers on food away from home was $3,008 that year, compared with $4,015 for food consumed at home.
The percentage of U.S. income spent for food consumed at home declined from 7.7% in 2013 to 7.1% in 2015, while the share of expenditures for food consumed away from home rose from 5.1% in 2013 to 5.3% in 2015.
No matter where it is consumed, American food is a bargain.
Americans consumers devote a lower percentage of their income on food compared with a few decades ago. In 1984, for example, dollars spent on food accounted for 14.9% of annual expenditures. By 2015, food as a percentage of overall consumer expenditures declined to 12.5%.
