In this fast paced environment, more and more people are eating out at fast food restaurants. According to a newly released Gallup poll, eight out of 10 say they eat out at quick-service restaurants (QSR) at least monthly.
The report notes that half of customers say they eat at a QSR at least weekly, while just 4 percent say they ever eat at a QSR. Slightly fewer Americans eat QSR fare weekly now than did so in 2006, when Gallup last approached the topic.
Fast food has long been a staple of many Americans' diets, but widespread concerns related to the nutritional value of the food linger. On that point, 76% in the U.S. think the food served in fast-food restaurants is "not too good" or "not good at all for you," the same percentage who said so in 2003, according to the report.
Twenty-eight percent say the food is "not good at all for you." Fewer, 20%, believe food purchased at fast-food restaurants is "fairly good for you," while 2% say it is "very good for you."
Men are more likely than women to eat QSR food at least weekly - 53 percent vs. 42 percent. Men aged 18 to 49 in particular eat out at least weekly, at 57 percent.
In terms of race, the study found that African-Americans and Hispanics ate out at QSRs most often, with 52 percent and 53 percent, respectively, eating it at least weekly. Less than half of non-Hispanic whites (46 percent) by comparison dine at a QSR at least weekly.
