Amber Waves

Peeling Open U.S. Fruit Consumption Trends

March 3, 2025 Sabrina Young, Hayden Stewart, Anne T. Byrne, Linda Kantor and Diansheng Dong for USDA's Amber Waves

Researchers found income and fruit prices did not have a strong association with low or high consumption. ERS researchers also sought to understand how individual and societal factors relate to being in the low- or high-consuming groups. They found the largest factors in predicting high consumption are health behaviors, including engaging in physical activity and not smoking, as well as health knowledge captured by awareness of USDA’s MyPlate, a tool used to visualize recommendations for a healthy diet. …

Satisfying Fruit and Vegetable Recommendations Possible for Under $3 a Day, Data Analysis Shows

October 27, 2024 Hayden Stewart, Jeffrey Hyman, and Sabrina Young | USDA's Amber Waves

Estimates are calculated for each product as it is sold in grocery stores on a dollars-per-pound basis or, in the case of juice, on a dollars-per-pint basis. To convert average retail prices into costs per cup equivalent, ERS researchers made adjustments for the removal of inedible parts and cooking loss that typically occur before consumption. …

Calorie Labels at Restaurants: Half of Adults Notice, but Some More Than Others

September 12, 2024 Brandon J. Restrepo, USDA's Amber Waves

Since FDA’s menu-labeling regulations became effective in 2018, a wide variety of U.S. foodservice establishments that sell restaurant-type food have disclosed calorie counts on menus, including convenience stores, grocery stores, superstores, and concession stands located within entertainment venues. …

Beef Cow-Calf Production Continues to be a Lifestyle Choice for Some Farmers

September 3, 2024 Jeffrey Gillespie and Christine Whitt, USDA's Amber Waves

Today’s beef cow-calf operations vary by size, occupation of the primary operator, and income. Using these distinctions, researchers identified three categories of farms for the study: rural residence, intermediate, and commercial.  …

Among Rural U.S. Counties, Those With Recreation-Dependent Economies Had Most Options Per Capita for Dining Out in 2019

August 25, 2023 Anne Byrne, USDA ERS

Rural U.S. counties differ from urban counties in marked ways, but they also can be distinguished from one another. For example, rural counties have different leading industries, such as farming, mining, or recreation. The availability of restaurants and other food-away-from-home (FAFH) outlets varies across rural counties, and those that depend on natural amenities, tourism, and recreation generally had more options for dining out leading up to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. …