For the Second Time in 25 Years, Annual U.S. Food Spending Declined in 2020

For the past 25 years, U.S. food expenditures generally followed several predictable trends. Most notably, annual total expenditures and the share of food-away-from-home (FAFH) showed steady increases, with the highest share of FAFH spending occurring during the summer months. The coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic limited mobility of U.S. consumers and led to an economic recession for most of 2020, disrupting historical trends in food spending