At A Glance
Noteworthy Characteristics
- Provides extensive consumer data on diet-related behavior.
- Has continuously tracked representative sample of adults’ and children’s total diet consumption for 30 years.
- Collects data via a 7-day journal.
- Dietary behavior may be linked to other variables such as body mass index, medical conditions and to nutrients liked to the foods and beverages consumed .
Website
Purpose
To collect data on all foods and beverages consumed both in home and away from home for children, teens, and adults in the United States (U.S.).
Target Population
All consumers in the U.S., from infants to adults.
Conducted
Ongoing daily diary since March 1, 1980, reported quarterly.
Sponsor
The NPD Group
Special Note(s)
Other surveys/services provided by The NPD Group include the following:
• CREST® tracks consumer purchases from commercial and non-commercial (e.g., hospital or hotel) restaurants.
NET Motivations and Need States identifies the reasons that drive the food and beverage choices consumers make. Needs like convenience, health, indulgence and more are captured.
• Health Aspirations & Behavioral Tracking Service collects data from the National Eating Trends® panel on the height, weight, diet, medical conditions, and food related strategies for achieving wellness goals for adult respondents.
Nutrition Tracking Service links nutrients to the foods and beverages consumed based on the amount consumed reported by NET panelists. Nutrient intake information can be reported by age, gender, and other demographics.
• Kitchen Audit is a module conducted as part of the NET panel every 3 years to identify the foods and beverages present in a household as well as kitchen appliances, cookware/bakeware, and utensils
• SnackTrack tracks snacking behavior from all sources, including schools.
The information provided in this profile focuses on U.S. services. Learn more about NPD’s services in other countries.
Contact:
The NPD Group
Laura Jurek
Laura.jurek@npd.com
Sampling
Sample Design
Panel survey.
Nationally representative sample weighted to U.S. Census Bureau statistics
Sample Size
Approximately 20,000 respondents annually reporting over 400K occasions and over one million food and beverage transactions.
Key Variables
Demographic
| Name | Methods of Assessment |
|---|---|
| Age | Interview/questionnaire |
| Education | Interview/questionnaire |
| Family size | Interview/questionnaire |
| Income | Interview/questionnaire |
| Race/ethnicity | Interview/questionnaire |
| Sex | Interview/questionnaire |
Diet-Related
| Name | Methods of Assessment |
|---|---|
| Amount consumed per occasion | Interview/questionnaire |
| All foods and beverages consumed including additives, ingredients, and cooking aids over 7 days. | Food diary (National Eating Trends) |
| Diet status | interview/questionnaire (Health Aspirations & Behavioral Tracking Service) |
| Drivers of consumers behaviors | Food diary (National Eating Trends), interview/questionnaire (SnackTrack) |
| Food and beverage preparation trends (appliances, cooking method) | Food diary (National Eating Trends) |
| Motivations for eating food | Interview/questionnaire (National Eating Trends Motivations & Need States; SnackTrack;) |
| Self classification of health | Food diary (National Eating Trends), interview/questionnaire (Health Aspirations & Behavioral Tracking Service) |
| Source and share of calories in-home, carried, and away from home | Food diary (National Eating Trends), interview/questionnaire (NET Nutrition Tracking Service) |
| Source and share of meals in-home, carried, and away from home | Food diary (National Eating Trends) |
| Source of nutrient | Food diary (National Eating Trends), interview/questionnaire (NET Nutrition Tracking Service) |
| When a food or beverage is consumed | Food diary (National Eating Trends); interview/questionnaire (SnackTrack) |
| Where a food or beverage is consumed | Food diary (National Eating Trends); interview/questionnaire (SnackTrack) |
| Where and when food purchased | Interview/questionnaire (SnackTrack) |
| Where, how, and when food is consumed | Food diary (National Eating Trends); interview/questionnaire (SnackTrack) |
Weight-Related
| Name | Methods of Assessment |
|---|---|
| Body mass index | Food diary (National Eating Trends) Interview/questionnaire (Health Aspirations & Behavioral Tracking Service) |
| Desire to lose weight | Food diary (National Eating Trends) Interview/questionnaire (Health Aspirations & Behavioral Tracking Service) |
Geocode/Linkage
| Name | Methods of Assessment |
|---|---|
| Census region | N/A |
Data Access and Cost
Data Availability
The NPD Group is a commercial enterprise that sells its data.
Cost
Fee-based.
Special Note(s)
Data are sold on ad hoc or subscription basis. National Eating Trends data is available for purchase via GSA contract (#GS-07F-005AA).
Geocode/Linkage
Geocode Variable(s)
Census region.
Existing Linkages
National Eating Trends® is linked to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) food consumption data and PRIZM clusters (zip code-linked consumer segmentation system).
Resources
None noted.
