Most popular eating times in the United States clocked at noon and 6 p.m. in 2023

On an average day in 2023, individuals aged 15 and older exhibit two distinct peak time blocks for primary eating and drinking—between noon and 12:59 p.m. and from 6 to 6:59 p.m. About 3 in 10 individuals engaged in primary eating and drinking during each of these periods. While some people prefer to eat and drink while not doing anything else (primary eating and drinking), others opt for grazing while multitasking (secondary eating). Notably, between 9 a.m. and 8:59 p.m., at least 5 percent of U.S. residents participated in secondary eating each hour in 2023. The top five concurrent activities during secondary eating included watching television and movies, paid work, socializing with others, food and drink preparation, and playing games. Examining the eating patterns of the U.S. population is key to better understanding the determinants of dietary intake and diet-related health status. This data and chart come from the USDA, Economic Research Service’s Eating and Health Module (ATUS) data product, which is part of the nationally representative American Time Use Survey.

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