Examining food purchase behavior and food values during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic has altered conceptions of ?normal? globally, including food purchasing and acquisition decisions In this paper, we surveyed a panel of 1,370 U S households four times during the COVID-19 pandemic from mid-March to late April 2020 With this unique panel, we observe changes in food expenditures, shopping behaviors, and food values as the pandemic evolved Our results reveal reductions in food-away-from-home expenditures and increases in online grocery shopping Food values appear to be fairly stable in the early stages of the pandemic;however, decreases in the importance of price and nutrition reveal tradeoffs households make during the pandemic This article is protected by copyright All rights reserved