What’s for Dinner? Leftovers!

The economy is now taking a toll on consumers’ eating habits. It’s not just that they’re dining out less often, says a report by the Food Marketing Institute. Sixty-seven percent are buying fewer luxury foods, and 60 percent are using more store-brand items. Most tellingly, 58 percent are eating more leftovers. Maybe the food-storage-container industry will be the dynamo that pulls us out of recession.

If people miss eating out as often as they did before the economy soured, they can take solace in feeling home-prepared food is healthier. Indeed, 39 percent believe the food they prepare at home is “much healthier” than what they eat elsewhere, and another 53 percent think it’s “somewhat healthier.” People at least claim to care about this: 41 percent of respondents said they’re “very concerned” about the nutritional content of the food they eat.