David Portalatin of Circana speaks in June at CSP’s Foodservice Forum in Schaumburg, Illinois. | CSP Staff
Home remains the anchor of the nation’s eating habits even as Americans gradually return to dining out, according to Chicago-based Circana’s 41st annual Eating Patterns in America report, which was released Wednesday.
The research shows that 86% of all food occasions are sourced from home, a level well above pre-pandemic norms. Americans consumed 17 more meals away from home compared to 2025, yet still 77 fewer than in 2019.
The report, which analyzes billions of eating and drinking occasions, examines the many forces shaping how and where Americans eat, with this year’s findings spotlighting protein and convenience as two notable trends influencing evolving eating patterns.
Protein continues to be a leading nutritional priority, according to the report. Nearly half of adults, 48%, seek more protein in their diets, up 7 percentage points from last year, placing it second only to vegetables among the items Americans want more of.
Among GLP-1 users, 65% seek more protein.
“GLP-1s have become the second-most common diet type, used by 8.5% of adults, up from 4.8% last year, while 46% of adults report being on a diet overall,” according to the report.
However, the data also reveals a nutrition gap. Adults consume nearly double the recommended amount of protein each day, but less than half the recommended amount of fiber. Foodservice is responding: 12% of commercial foodservice meals are now described as “high protein,” with those occasions growing 11% year over year.
The report also revealed that speed shapes daily eating. Half of all meals now take less than five minutes to prepare, a share that has climbed since 2021. This includes 65% of breakfasts, 56% of lunches and 35% of dinners.
As the return-to-office movement continues, half of Americans eat breakfast away from home before 9 a.m., and early breakfasts are steadily growing, according to the report. At home, convenience remains a strong driver, with frozen dinners and entrees now accounting for close to 5% of in-home occasions, up from less than 1% in the 1980s.
Snacking patterns also are shifting, with consumers snacking less between meals and more during or instead of a meal, up 11 occasions versus last year.
“Americans’ eating and drinking patterns continue to evolve as they balance nutrition, convenience, cost and connection,” said David Portalatin (pictured), senior vice president and food and foodservice industry advisor for Circana. “This year’s report spotlights protein and convenience as two important themes within a much broader set of shifts influencing how and where people eat and drink. While away-from-home occasions continue to rebound, home remains the foundation of America’s food culture.”
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