美国人几十年的饮食习惯，说变就变了
过去几十年，外出就餐已经成为美国人的主要饮食方式。
2014年，美国人外出就餐的花费（如餐馆与学校食堂）首次超过了美国消费者去超市等地购买食材在家就餐的支出。
今年3月，美国农业部公布的月度食品销售数据显示，人们在外就餐支出从2月的676亿美元下降到3月的540亿美元，降幅为20%，而在家食品销售金额增至793亿美元，增幅为26%。
但真正的转变发生在4月，当时很多州都处于严格的封锁状态。人们外出就餐支出较上个月下降34%，达到357亿美元。这一数据还不到2019年12月美国人外出就餐花费的一半。
不过据美国农业部的5月数据显示，这个数字有稍许回升，为485亿美元。
今年5月，美国人外出就餐费用数据仍比1月低200亿美元左右。很多因素导致了这一数据的下降，比如人们不得不选择在家工作、儿童无法返校上课等。未来长路漫漫，随着一些州新冠病毒感染病例的激增，7月的数据很可能再次下降。
上个月的消费者调查结果也表明，受新冠疫情影响，一些趋势将继续存在。调查发现，约70%的受访者希望在家做饭，约80%的受访者希望疫情过后也可以更多地在家就餐。近一半的受访者计划疫情后减少去餐馆吃饭的次数，大多数人表示，他们现在点外卖的次数较两周前也有所减少。
经济形势的恶化可能会加剧这种趋势。比如，在2007年至2009年的经济大衰退期间，由于失业率的上升，经济衰退中断了美国人外出就餐历史性的增长。
目前，人们饮食模式变化带来的影响不仅仅局限于消费。例如，美国农业部的数据显示，外出就餐的食物含有更高的热量、饱和脂肪与钠，这意味着外出就餐次数的下降可能会让人们的饮食习惯更加健康。
因此，可以确定的一点是，我们的饮食方式不会永远一成不变。（财富中文网）
编译：于佳鑫
过去几十年，外出就餐已经成为美国人的主要饮食方式。
2014年，美国人外出就餐的花费（如餐馆与学校食堂）首次超过了美国消费者去超市等地购买食材在家就餐的支出。
今年3月，美国农业部公布的月度食品销售数据显示，人们在外就餐支出从2月的676亿美元下降到3月的540亿美元，降幅为20%，而在家食品销售金额增至793亿美元，增幅为26%。
但真正的转变发生在4月，当时很多州都处于严格的封锁状态。人们外出就餐支出较上个月下降34%，达到357亿美元。这一数据还不到2019年12月美国人外出就餐花费的一半。
不过据美国农业部的5月数据显示，这个数字有稍许回升，为485亿美元。
今年5月，美国人外出就餐费用数据仍比1月低200亿美元左右。很多因素导致了这一数据的下降，比如人们不得不选择在家工作、儿童无法返校上课等。未来长路漫漫，随着一些州新冠病毒感染病例的激增，7月的数据很可能再次下降。
上个月的消费者调查结果也表明，受新冠疫情影响，一些趋势将继续存在。调查发现，约70%的受访者希望在家做饭，约80%的受访者希望疫情过后也可以更多地在家就餐。近一半的受访者计划疫情后减少去餐馆吃饭的次数，大多数人表示，他们现在点外卖的次数较两周前也有所减少。
经济形势的恶化可能会加剧这种趋势。比如，在2007年至2009年的经济大衰退期间，由于失业率的上升，经济衰退中断了美国人外出就餐历史性的增长。
目前，人们饮食模式变化带来的影响不仅仅局限于消费。例如，美国农业部的数据显示，外出就餐的食物含有更高的热量、饱和脂肪与钠，这意味着外出就餐次数的下降可能会让人们的饮食习惯更加健康。
因此，可以确定的一点是，我们的饮食方式不会永远一成不变。（财富中文网）
编译：于佳鑫
In the last few decades, eating out has steadily become a staple of the American diet.
In fact, it's become so core to our consumption habits that in 2014, the amount Americans spent on food eaten away from home—think restaurants or even lunch in school cafeterias—surpassed for the first time what U.S. consumers spent on food purchased at locations like supermarkets to be eaten at home.
Add that to the list of things that COVID-19 has thrown completely out of whack. In March, the USDA’s monthly sales of food figures showed that money spent on food away from home (FAFH) had dropped from $67.6 billion in February to $54 billion in March, a 20% decline, while sales of food at home (FAH) increased $62.9 billion to $79.3 billion, or 26%.
But the real shift came in April, when more states were in serious lockdown. Spending on food away from home plummeted 34% over the previous month to $35.7 billion. That's less than half of what Americans spent on FAFH in December 2019.
Today, the USDA reported May figures, which showed a bit of a rebound. FAFH was up to $48.5 billion.
It's still far too soon to get excited about any sort of recovery. May's FAFH figure is still some $20 billion below where spending was in January. There's clearly a long road ahead with many of the factors that have driven the current declines—working from home and kids out of school—still in play for the foreseeable future. And with COVID-19 cases surging in some states, it's highly possible that June and July figures could see renewed drops.
A consumer survey from Jefferies last month also suggests that some of the pandemic trends are here to stay. Its survey found that about 70% of respondents expect to cook more at home and about 80% expect to eat the same or more at home post-COVID as they did during COVID-19. Nearly half of those surveyed plan to eat at restaurants less post-COVID, while most said they are cooking at home more now and ordering delivery or takeout less than they were two weeks ago.
The trends are likely to be compounded by a worsening economic landscape. Take the Great Recession from 2007 to 2009, during which the downturn interrupted the historic growth of food away from home as unemployment rose.
The current change in eating patterns has implications that extend beyond just spending—many of which we don't yet fully understand. For example, food away from home is more caloric and has more saturated fats and sodium, according to the USDA. That means that a decline in FAFH could possibly result in healthier eating habits and better nutrition.
At this point what we do know for certain is that how we eat will never quite be the same.
