Nowadays with our hectic lifestyles, we often don’t have time to prepare home cooked meals. We simply don’t have time to sit down to a leisurely meal anymore!

Fortunately, fast food is prepared and served very quickly for those people on-the-go. Besides being convenient, eating out is handy for those who are too tired to slave over a hot stove, don’t want to bother washing dishes, or for those who simply don’t know how to cook!

However, all these benefits come at a price: fast food usually isn’t the healthiest of choices; most of the nutritional value is taken out! How often do you eat fast food? Do younger people eat more of it? Do those with higher incomes eat out more often? Do larger families prefer home cooking or fast food? We’ve gathered some results to share with you.

• Single person households are less likely to eat out compared to larger households that may not have time to cook meals. For instance, 63% of larger households ordered pizza in the last four weeks compared to 30% of single person households. Additionally, 44% of households with 5 or more members bought ready-to-eat meals at grocery stores, compared to only 33% of people who live alone.
  

• Almost 71% of panelists eat out once a week or more. On average, 41% of younger panelists (18-24) eat out from all types of informal dining places, compared to only 23% of those 65+.
  

• The most popular times for eating out are dinner (69%), lunch (68%) or breakfast (40%). The most popular places for informal dining are fast food restaurants (78%), pizza places (48%) and casual restaurants (37%).
  

• Only 28% of those with the lowest income (<$25,000) eat out 2-3 times per week, compared to 48% of those in the highest income bracket ($100,000+). In fact, only 15% of those with high incomes prepare home cooked meals more than once a day.
  

• Twice the amount of males (14%) eat out nearly everyday, compared to females (9%). Many younger panelists (29%) eat out everyday, compared to only 5% of older panelists aged 65+.
  

• Single people also tend to eat out everyday – almost twice as much as those who are married (16% vs. 8%). Only 18% of single people prepare home cooked meals more than once a day, compared to 24% of those who are partnered.