Food Spending Shifted in Response to Pandemic Changes for Food Away From Home Continued Through 2022

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic widely disrupted daily life, including which foods people bought and where they bought them. Following the pandemic declaration in March 2020, States and local governments across the country implemented public safety measures that limited access to in-person activities, closed or restricted businesses such as restaurants, and often invoked stay-at-home orders. At the same time, the United States experienced an economic downturn marked by an increase in unemployment rates. Supply-chain issues affected transportation of food from producers, consumers found it more difficult to safely access adequate food, and State and Federal Governments implemented multifaceted changes in food assistance. All these consequences of the pandemic meant unprecedented changes to spending on and acquisition of food at home (FAH) and food away from home (FAFH).