After trending downwards, the share of food expenditures spent on food at home holds steady at 52%

In 1965, grocery stores, convenience stores, and other retailers accounted for about 70 percent of U.S. food expenditures. This share fell to 52 percent by 2005, and has remained there through 2010. This leveling off may be the result of supermarkets expanding their offerings of ready-to-eat entrees and meals, along with households responding to the recent recession by cutting back on eating out. This chart is from the Food Markets & Prices topic on the ERS website, updated September 23, 2011.