Food at home sales falling, food away rising

Food at home index fell 0.3% over March — the first decline in that index since September 2020 — according to the latest consumer index report.  

Three of the six major grocery store food group indexes decreased over the month. The index for meats, poultry, fish, and eggs decreased 1.4% in March as the index for eggs fell 10.9%. The fruits and vegetables index declined 1.3% over the month, and the dairy and related products index decreased 0.1%.

In contrast, the index for other food at home rose 0.4% in March, following a 0.3% increase the previous month. The cereals and bakery products index increased 0.6% over the month, and the nonalcoholic beverages index rose 0.2%. 

The food away from home index rose 0.6% in March, as it did in the previous 2 months. The index for full service meals increased 0.7% over the month and the index for limited service meals increased 0.5%. 

The food at home index rose 8.4% over the last 12 months. The index for cereals and bakery products rose 13.6% over the 12 months ending in March. The remaining major grocery store food groups posted increases ranging from 2.5% (fruits and vegetables) to 11.3% (nonalcoholic beverages).

The index for food away from home rose 8.8% over the last year. The index for full service meals rose 8.0% over the last 12 months, and the index for limited service meals rose 7.9% over the same period.