Fast food dominates Americans' takeout choices, new study confirms: 'Easy, ready to enjoy'

A emblematic weeknight for an American household tin beryllium hectic for some parents and children aft a agelong time astatine enactment and school, positive after-school sports practices, creation classes, homework and more. 

No wonderment takeout food is often a go-to prime for galore families — not to notation couples and individuals. The convenience, assortment and terms constituent are hard to beat. 

Recent information draws a precise wide picture.

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To larn much astir Americans' habits erstwhile it comes to restaurants and takeout, the Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts successful Boulder, Colorado, analyzed 2024 user eating trends by compiling statistic from a assortment of sources. It recovered that fast food dominates takeout, with 60% of Americans preferring to devour it astatine home.

"Americans are spending much than ever connected nutrient prepared distant from home, with accelerated nutrient intelligibly starring the way," said cook Kirk T. Bachmann, who serves arsenic president and provost of Escoffier's Boulder campus. 

Analysis from Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts successful Colorado revealed that 60% of takeout nutrient for Americans is accelerated food. (iStock)

"Over the past fewer years, the information suggest a continuing displacement toward meals that are fast, casual and acceptable to bask – a wide motion of however radical are adapting their eating habits to acceptable their engaged lives," helium besides told Fox News Digital.

Emily Irwin, caput of proposal and readying with Wells Fargo's Planning Center of Excellence successful Minneapolis, was not connected to the survey astir spending connected accelerated food, but said she's not amazed astatine however Americans trust connected it. 

"Fast nutrient becomes a mode to rapidly drawback and go."

"Given the frenetic gait that tin devour our days and the aggravated unit for galore families connected outgo and convenience, it's not shocking that 60% of takeout nutrient is accelerated food," Irvin told Fox News Digital. "Fast nutrient tin lick galore of our 'pinched' moments – pinched for time, pinched for money, pinched for convenience." 

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Many families whitethorn acquisition overscheduling, she said, arsenic they spell from 1 enactment to another; sometimes those activities adjacent overlap and conflict.

"Fast nutrient becomes a mode to rapidly drawback and go," she added. "We're contiguous successful the bureau much and whitethorn person little clip to organize meals thoughtfully for that time oregon week."

More than fractional of each Americans similar takeout to eating astatine a restaurant, the survey revealed. (iStock)

Fast nutrient is truthful fashionable that there's an full time dedicated to it. National Fast-Food Day is observed connected Nov. 16 each year.

Most fashionable choice

While eating retired is appealing, much than fractional of Americans similar takeout, with 57% of consumers choosing it implicit sitting down astatine a restaurant, according to Escoffier's analysis. 

Further, 76% of respondents said takeout is much enjoyable to devour astatine home, portion 75% worth the convenience it offers. The reasons span from being capable to ticker TV portion eating to skipping cooking.  

When convenience is the goal, accelerated nutrient is king. 

While accelerated nutrient dominates the takeout space, good eating accounts for lone 2% of takeout orders — showing that erstwhile convenience is the goal, accelerated nutrient is king, the survey suggested.

"Fast nutrient is decidedly the astir fashionable prime for transportation and takeout, with 60% [of people] opting for it regularly," Bachmann told Fox News Digital. 

"The pleasance of eating astatine location was arsenic important to consumers," helium besides said.  (Gerald Matzka/picture confederation via Getty Images)

"While we weren't amazed to spot convenience apical the database of reasons wherefore radical take takeout, 1 happening that jumped retired from the information was that the pleasance of eating astatine home was arsenic important to consumers," helium besides said. 

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"This seems to suggest that the accepted acquisition of sharing meals astatine location remains important – adjacent if idiosyncratic other is doing the cooking."

Salad, grilled chicken, burrito bowls and more

Lisa Moskovitz, an writer and registered dietitian with NY Nutrition Group successful New York, said not each fast-food meals are bad. 

"Despite the communal beliefs astir accelerated food, you tin eat comparatively healthily adjacent if sourced from a drive-thru window," she said. 

She added that "meals similar salads, grilled chickenhearted sandwiches and burrito bowls are a fraction of the terms compared to those astatine sit-down restaurants."

There are ways to "significantly amended the nutritional prime of your fast-food meal," said 1 dietitian. One large idea: Choose a salad.  (iStock)

No substance wherever you extremity up oregon what's astir you, determination is ever a healthier paper option, Moskovitz noted. 

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"Opting for grilled proteins implicit greasy breaded versions, sides of caller apples, soups oregon salads alternatively of bulb rings and gallic fries, and sticking to h2o oregon nine soda for hydration tin importantly amended the nutritional prime of your fast-food meal," she said.

Food transportation services entreaty to young Americans

Food transportation services are exploding successful demand, mostly among younger Americans, according to Escoffier's information analysis. 

Delivery apps specified arsenic GrubHub and Uber Eats pb the market, with 51% of Americans regularly utilizing third-party apps for delivery, the information indicated. 

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"Fast nutrient has ever been astir convenience and with the emergence successful transportation services, it's becoming much convenient than ever for radical to bask their favorites without adjacent leaving the house," Bachmann said. 

Many young Americans are turning to nutrient transportation services and apps. (iStock)

But these transportation conveniences travel astatine a cost. 

Irwin with Wells Fargo cautioned those who trust connected food-delivery services to see the surcharge fees and tips.

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"It's truthful casual to simply click to bid that galore of america hide however often we're really doing it," Irwin said.