Cohort Effects of Household Expenditures on Food Away from Home

Data from 23 years of the U.S. Consumer Expenditure Survey (1982-2004) are analyzed to investigate cohort effects on food away-from-home (FAFH) expenditures using the age, period, and cohort (APC) model. Nine 10-year interval cohorts are included, from the Interbellum Generation born between 1896 and 1905 to the MTV Generation born between 1976 and 1985. Analyses reveal that later-born cohorts spend more on FAFH, both in dollar amount and in food budget share, compared with earlier-born cohorts. Significant cohort differences in FAFH remain after additional sociodemographic and economic variables are controlled.