Americans tend to split their eating activity into two types: primary and secondary. Understanding these patterns could help you design campaigns to increase sales for your food and beverage manufacturers and retailers.

The average adult spends 67 minutes a day engaged in primary eating and drinking which is defined as the main activity being undertaken at that time. Primary eating and drinking occurs:

• At home 67%
• At work 13%
• In a restaurant or bar 11%
• Other 9%

Consumers spend 16 minutes a day engaged in secondary eating and 41 minutes a day engaged in secondary drinking. Common accompanying activities include:

• Relaxing/leisure such as watching TV or movies
• Paid working
• Socializing
• Preparing food/drink
• Cleaning house

The peak hours for primary and secondary eating and drinking occur between noon and 1 p.m. and 6 to 7 p.m.This data suggests that ad campaigns run during noontime or dinnertime could encourage consumers to think about purchasing a specific product or visiting a specific bar or restaurant. And an online campaign could encourage staffers to influence co-workers about where to buy lunch. Read the rest of this report for more data.

Source: Amber Waves, U.S. Department of Agriculture, June 2008