UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Agriculture Information BulUtin No. 146

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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agriculture Information BulUtin No. 146
888899
Household Practices in the Use of Foods
Three Cities, 1953
by Corinne LeBovít and Faith Clark
The surveys on which data in this report were based were Stations. The contracts were negotiated and administered
made by two contractors. National Analysts, Inc., Philadel- by Janet Murray. Gertrude S. Weiss, Chief of the House-
phia, Pa., and Washington State College through the hold Economics Research Branch, had general direction of
Department of Home Economics, Agricultural Experiment the study.
April 1956
Household Economics Research Branch
AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SERVICE
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agriculture information Bulletin 146
For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office
Washington 25, D. G. - Price 50 cents
^/// 4
CONTENTS
Page Page
Summary 1 Fats used for frying 58
Introduction 3 Vegetables — 59
Characteristics of the cities surveyed 3 Potatoes 59
Characteristics of the households participating. ..... 3 Cabbage 64
Carrots », 66
Eggs
How they were used 7 Canned tomatoes 68
Meals at which they were served 7 Use of pressure cooker for potatoes and carrots 70
How they were cooked 13 Appendix A, Methodology
Milk Sample design
Combinations used 17 Selection of sample dwelling units and eligibility
Fresh fluid milk: Type used 17 requurements , 71
Fresh fluid milk: How it was used 17 History of visits , 71
Fresh fluid milk: Who drank it 24 Sample appraisal
Evaporated milk: How it was used 29 Comparison of survey with census data 71
Nonfat dry milk sohds: How used. 35 Effect of eügibility requirements 73
Effect of nonparticipation of eligibles 73
Butter and margarine
Collection procedures
What table fats were used , 38
How butter was used . 39 Interview method 76
How margarine was used 42 Period covered. , ♦. 76
Schedules. 76
How butter and margarine were used in combination. 44
AppendixB. Household meals: To whom and when served. 77
White granulated sugar: How used 46
All household members 77
Baked goods Nonfamily members 78
Products prepared 49 Family members 79
Type of flour used 51
Appendix C. Schedule forms 82
Use of purchased mixes 53
Type or shortening used 55 Glossary 89
TABLES
Texf Tables
Page Pago
1. CHARACTERISTICS OF HOUSEHOLDS: Selected 9. FRESH FLUID MILK: USE AS BEVERAGE, BY
characteristics by income, by household size, and AGE OF USER: Percent of households with mem-
by employment of homemaker . 4 bers drinking milk in the household in a week, and
2. EGGS: HOW THEY WERE USED: Percent of quantity drunk per member, by income 24
households using eggs at home in a week, and aver- 10. MILK: DISTRIBUTION OF BEVERAGE USE OF
age quantity used, by income and by household FRESH FLUID MILK BY AGE OF USER: Per-
size 8 cent of households with members drinking specified
3. EGGS: MEALS AT WHICH SERVED AT TABLE: quantities of milk in the household in a week, by
Percent of households serving eggs at home in a income 25
week, and average quantity served, by income and 11. MILK: AVAILABILITY OF MILK TO MEM-
by household size 11 BERS DRINKING NO FRESH FLUID MILK:
4. EGGS: COMBINATIONS OF MEALS AT WHICH Percent of households that reported beverage use
SERVED AT TABLE: Percent of households of nonfat dry milk solids or evaporated milk in the
serving eggs at specified combinations of meals at household or that had meals away from home in a
home in a week, hy income and by household size. 13 week, by income (only for households reporting
5. EGGS: METHOD OF COOKING FOR TABLE no fresh fluid milk drunk at home in a week by
USE: Percent of households cooking eggs at home members in age group) 27
in a week, and average quantity prepared, by in-
12. EVAPORATED MILK: HOW USED: Percent of
come and by household size 14
households using evaporated milk at home in a
6. MILK: FRESH FLUID, EVAPORATED, NON-
week, and average quantity used, by income and
FAT DRY SOLIDS: Percent of households using
by household size 30
combinations of specified milk products at home in
13. EVAPORATED MILK: COMBINATIONS OF
a week, by income and bv household size., 18
7. FRESH FLUID MILK: I'YPE USED: Percent of USES: Percent of households using evaporated
households using specified types of fresh fluid milk milk that reported specified combinations of uses
at home in a week, and average quantity used, by at home in a week, by income and by household
income and by household size. 19 size 34
8. FRESH FLUID MILK: HOW USED: Percent of 14. NONFAT DRY MILK SOLIDS: FORM IN
households using fresh fluid milk at home in a week, WHICH USED: Percent of households using non-
and average quantity used, by income and by fat dry milk solids at home in a week, and average
household size. 21 quantity used, by income and by household size.. 35
III
Page Page
15. NONFAT DRY MILK SOLIDS: HOW USED: Per- 25. SHORTENING USED IN BATTERS AND
cent of households using nonfat dry milk soHds in DOUGHS: Percent of households, preparing spec-
specified ways at home in a week, by income and ified products at home in a week, that used spec-
by household size 37 ified type of shortening ,. 56
16. BUTTER AND MARGARINE: Percent of house-
holds using butter and margarine alone or in com- 26. COMBINATIONS OF SHORTENINGS USED IN
bination at home in a week, by income and hj BATTERS AND DOUGHS: Percent of house-
household size 38 holds, preparing specified products at home in a
17. BUTTER: HOW IT WAS USED: Percent of week, that used specified combinations of short-
households using butter at home in a week, and enings 57
average quantity used, by income and by house- 27. FATS USED FOR FRYING: Percent of house-
hold size 39 holds, doing any frying at home in a week, that
18. MARGARINE: HOW IT WAS USED: Percent of used specified fats 58
households using margarine at home in a week,
and average quantity used, by income and by 28. HOW POTATOES WERE SERVED: Percent of
household size. 42 households serving potatoes at home in a week,
19. BUTTER AND MARGARINE: COMBINATIONS and average number of meals at which they were
OF USES: Percent of households using both butter served, by income and by household size 60
and margarine that reported specified combina-
tions of uses at home in a week, by income and by 29. HOW FRESH CABBAGE WAS SERVED: Per-
household size 45 cent of households serving fresh cabbage at home
20. WHITE GRANULATED SUGAR: HOW IT WAS in a week, and average number of meals at which
USED: Percent of households using sugar at home it was served, by income and by household size... 64
in a week, and average quantity used, by income
30. HOW FRESH CARROTS WERE SERVED: Per-
and by household size 46
cent of households serving fresh carrots at meals
21. BAKED GOODS: Percent of households preparing
and between meals at home in a week, and aver-
batters and doughs at home in a week, by income,
age number of meals at which they were served,
by household size, and by employment of home-
by income and by household size 66
maker 49
22. FLOUR USED IN BATTERS AND DOUGHS: 31. HOW CANNED TOMATOES WERE SERVED:
Percent of households, preparing specified prod- Percent of households serving canned tomatoes at
ucts at home in a week, that used specified type of home in a week, and average number of meals at
flour 52 which they were served, by income and by house-
23. COMBINATIONS OF FLOURS USED IN CAKE, hold size 68
COOKIES, PIE: Percent of households, prepar-
ing specified products at home in a week, that 32. USE OF PRESSURE COOKER FOR POTATOES
used specified combinations of flours 54 AND CARROTS: Percent of households serving
24. USE OF PURCHASED MIXES: Percent of house- boiled or mashed potatoes that pressure-cooked
holds, preparing specified products at home in a potatoes and of those serving cooked carrots that
week, that used purchased mixes, by income, by pressure-cooked carrots at home in a week, by in-
household size, and by employment of home- come, by household size, and by employment of
maker 55 homemaker 70
Appendix A. TabI es
Page Page
33. SUMMARY OF VISITS. 71 37. COMPARISON OF PARTICIPATING WITH
34. COMPARISON OF SURVEY WITH CENSUS ALL ELIGIBLE HOUSEflOLDS: Selected facili-
DATA: Selected characteristics of dwelling units ties of dwelling units, two cities 75
and households 72 38. COMPARISON OF PARTICIPATING WITH
35. COMPARISON OF SURVEY WITH CENSUS ALL ELIGIBLE HOUSEHOLDS: Selected facili-
DATA: Family income , 73 ties of dwelling units, one city 75
36. COMPARISON OF PARTICIPATING WITH
ALL ELIGIBLE HOUSEHOLDS: Selected char-
acteristics of dwelling units and households, three
cities 74
Appendix B. Tables
Page Page
39. COMPOSITION OF HOUSEHOLDS: Percent of 41. MEALS TO FAMILY MEMBERS: Meals in a
household meals in a week to men, women, and week to family members at home and away from
children, by income and by household size 77 home and to nonfamily members at home, by meal
40. MEALS TO NONFAMILY MEMBERS: Meals of day and age and sex of member 80
per household in a week to all household members
and to nonfamily members, by income and by
household size 79
ILLUSTRATIONS
Figure No. Page Figure No- p^^e
1. EGGS; Methods of cooking for table use. 14 3. HOME BAKING AND MIXES 53
2. EYAPORATED MILK USES 30 4. POTATOES: Methods of serving 60
IV
SUMMARY
^ Surveys of household practices in the prepara- serving carrots—cooked or raw—differed from
tion and use of selected foods were made in Bir- city to city.
mingham, Ala., and Indianapolis, Ind., in spring Food consumption by the households differed
1953, and Everett, Wash,, in fall 1953. The infor- among the three cities in several respects.
mation obtained in these surveys has many uses Buttermilk was much more popular in Birming-
in educational and marketing programs, and in ham than in Indianapolis or Everett. However,
research programs in human nutrition, home eco- less fresh fluid milk of any type was used in Bir-
nomics, and utilization of agricultural products. mingham than in the other cities. Nonfat dry
The foods studied were eggs, milk, table fats, milk was much more popular in Birmingham and
sugar, and selected vegetables. Information was was used by more than a third of the households
also reported on home baking and frying. in the survey week. Most of the nonfat dry milk
The surveys showed (1) how the selected foods (80 percent) used in Birmingham was reconstituted
were used in the participating households and (2) before use.
how certain characteristics of the participating In Birmingham and Indianapolis, three-fourths
households afïected the use of these foods. of the butter and about three-fifths of the mar-
Highlights of the results are summarized in the garine used in the survey week was used at the
following paragraphs: table. In Everett, four-fifths of each fat that was
An average of about one egg per person per day used in a week was used at the table. Two-thirds
was used by households in all three cities. These of the Birmingham households and one-half in
were mostly for table use, rather than for cooking Indianapolis and Everett used margarine and no
or baking. ^ Frying was the predominant method butter.
of preparation. About three-fourths of the eggs Potatoes were used less often in Birmingham
used at the table were served at breakfast. More and were prepared in fewer ways than in the North.
than half of the households served eggs at some In almost 90 percent of the Birmingham house-
other meal of the day at least once during the week. holds quick hot breads, chiefly biscuits and corn-
All households used some fresh or evaporated bread, were made. While vegetable shortening
milk or nonfat dry milk during the survey week. was used in baking more than any other fat in all
Three-fourths of the fresh fluid milk was used as a three cities, lard, drippings, and margarine were
beverage. The most common use of evaporated reported more frequently in Birmingham than in
milk was in coffee or tea. A third or more of the the northern cities.
households (nearly one-half in Everett) that used Everett diftered from the other two cities in
evaporated milk used it only for coffee or tea. more frequent preparation of soft-cooked and
For several age groups, the average amount of poached eggs, in use of more sugar in canning,
milk drunk at home was so much less than the and in preference of cooked carrots to raw.
amount recommended by nutritionists that the Everett homemakers prepared a greater variety
deficit was not likely to have been supplied by of baked products than those in the other cities.
other dairy products or by milk avv^ay from home. In a week, two-thirds made cake and griddle
Adolescents probably fared the poorest in this re- cakes, half made pie, and over one-third made
spect, but adults also used small quantities of milk cookies. Some of the differences in household
as a beverage in meals at home. practices may have been associated with the small-
Nearly all households used either butter or mar- er size of Everett, some with its location, and some
garine during the survey week. Well over half with the season of the year (fall in Everett, spring
of each fat was used at the table chiefly as a bread in Birmingham and Indianapolis).
spread. More households used margarine alone Practices in the use of the foods studied seemed
than used butter alone or both fats. When both to differ less among income groups than from city
fats were used, a half to three-fourths of the fam- to city. The only consistent differences in prac-
ihes used both fats at the table; only a fourth to a tices by income were these: High-income families
third used butter for cooking. made less use of potatoes than low-income fami-
More households in all the cities served mashed hes, but greater use of baked potatoes; they made
potatoes at one or more meals during the survey greater use of fresh whole milk, fresh skim milk,
week than served potatoes prepared in any other and prepared mixes for baking; they made greater
way. Cabbage was served raw more often than use of a pressure cooker for carrots and potatoes.
cooked. Canned tomatoes were served in mix- Differences among income groups were more
tures most often. The most frequent method of marked in Birmingham than in the other two
cities. There the spread in income from the low- only fresh milk (no evaporated or nonfat solids),
to the high-income groups was greater than in and butter and no margarine. Large households
Indianapolis or Everett. More low- than high- served potatoes more often than smalL More
income households in Birmingham baked hot large than small households in Birmingham and
breads. Low-income households in Birmingham Indianapolis used chocolate milk. Homemakers
also used more butter (principally at the table); in more large than small households in Birming-
high-income households used more margarine ham made hot breads; in Indianapolis and
(principally in cooking). In Indianapolis and Everett, pancakes.
Everett high-income households used more butter,
Whether or not the homemaker was employed
less sugar, and served fewer boiled peeled potatoes
outside the home was related to baking practices
than those with low incomes.
only in Everett. There employed homemakers
Average size of households was related to the
did less baking, but those who did bake made
kinds and quantities of foods used in a week, but
very little to the ways in which the foods were greater use of prepared mixes than did home-
used. More small than large households used makers who were not working away from home.
INTRODUCTION
Practices in the preparation and use of selected including a description of the sample designs and
foods by about 850 houseliolds in three cities in their appraisal, are presented in appendix A,
1953 are reported in this publication. Repre- Appendix B is a report on household meals, to
sentative samples of families in Birmingham, Ala. whom and when served. Besides being useful in
(318), and in Indianapolis, Ind, (305), were sur- further interpretation of material in this report,
veyed in spring 1953. A smaller number in these data are also useful in analyses of other
Everett, Wash. (226), provided data in fall 1953. family consumption surveys. The schedule forms
The information obtained provides background for this survey are reproduced in appendix C.
material for use in educational and marketing pro- A glossary explains the major terms used in the
grams and in programs of research in human nu- study.
trition, home economics, and utilization of agri- Collection of schedules and tabulation of the
cultural products. data in Birmingham and Indianapolis were carried
The text presents only the highlights of the out under contract with National Analysts, Inc.;
findings. Many more implications for specific in Everett, with Washington State College. The
purposes can be gleaned from the statistics in schedule forms used in all the cities were about the
the tables. same, but the Everett form included additional
Products studied were eggs, fresh fluid milk, sections to obtain data desired by Calla Van Syckle,
evaporated milk, nonfat dry milk solids, butter, Home Economist, Washington Agricultural Ex-
margarine, other fats, sugar, potatoes, cabbage, periment Stations, who supervised the contract
carrots, and canned tomatoes. Home baking prac- for the College.
tices were also reported. More specifically, data
were obtained on how and at what meals eggs
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE CITIES SUR-
were served; how fresh fluid milk was used and
VEYED
by whom it was drunk; how evaporated milk,
nonfat dry milk solids, butter, margarine, and
sugar were used; what kinds of products were Although the three cities cannot be assumed to
baked at home and what kinds of flour and fat represent regions, some indication of regional
ingredients were used in these products; what difference is found in these data, particularly
kinds of fats were used for frying; and how pota- between Birmingham and Indianapolis. These
toes, cabbage, carrots, and canned tomatoes were are both large industrial cities which had popula-
served. tions close to half a million in 1950. Everett has
Some information of this type was collected less industry and had a 1950 population of about
earlier by the Department of Agriculture as part 34,000. The farms around Indianapolis sell a
of food consumption surveys in Minneapolis-St. large quantity of dairy and livestock products;
Paul in 1949,^ in two rural counties in Minnesota around Everett, principally dairy and poultry
in 1950,^ and in rural areas in the North Central products; and around Birmingham, little of any of
region in 1952.^ Data on household practices these. Varying local supplies of milk and eggs
from the earlier surveys, however, were not as could have affected use of these products in the
complete as in the studies reported here, since cities.
they were collected with more extensive informa- Birmingham had a large Negro population (40
tion on food consumption. percent in 1950), Indianapolis less (15 percent),
In all the surveys, personal interviews were and Everett nearly none. Everett had the largest
used to obtain from homemakers information for proportion of foreign-bom persons, most of them
the v/eek preceding the interview. Data on com- Scandinavian. Most of the foreign-born in In-
position and other characteristics of the house- dianapolis were German and British; in Birming-
hold were also obtained. In the surveys reported ham, Italian and British. Because ethnic back-
in this publication, income classification was made ground is sometimes an influence in use of foods,
by asking the respondent to estimate the family differences in food practices shown among these
income and to indicate the income group in which cities are not wholly regional.
it fell. The methods used in collecting the data,
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE HOUSE-
1 Dairy Products in City Diets, 1948 Food Consumption
Surveys. Commodity Summary No, 6, U. S. Dept. Agr, HOLDS PARTICIPATING
(Processed.) Feb. 1950.
2 Clark, P., LeBovit, C. B. Food Consumption of Farm
Families, Meeker and Wright Counties, Minnesota, 1950. Average size of the Birmingham households (in
•U. S. Dept. Agr. Inform. Bui. 127, 1955. meal-equivalent persons) was somewhat larger than
3 Orshansky, M., LeBovit, C, Blake, E. C, Moss, M. A.
in the northern cities—3.59 compared with 3.14
' "^00d Consumption and Dietary Levels, Rural Families in
,he North Central Region, 1952 (in preparation). in Indianapolis and 3,23 in Everett (table 1).
TABLE 1.^CHARACTERISTICS OF HOUSEHOLDS: Selected characteristics by income^ by household size, and by employment of homemaker
Income i Household size ^ Homemaker
All
Item Unit house-
holds Low Middle High pers2o ns pers3o ns pers4o ns 5p oerr smonorse plEomye-d Npoloty eemd -
BIRMINGHAM, ALA., SPRING 1953
Households - Number 318 98 122 98 92 81 53 82 81 237
Percent 100 31 38 31 29 25 17 26 25 75
Income (1952):
T)nllars Under 2,500- 4,000
2,500 3,999 and over
Approximate median do._ 3,200 1,500 3, 200 5,700 2,800 3, 400 3,200 3, 100 3,400 3, 100
Average household size (21 meals at Persons ___ 3.59 3.52 3.73 3. 49 1.94 2. 91 3.88 6.21 2.93 3.82
home =^ 1 person).
Employment of homemaker:
All households ^ ^ _ Percent 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100
Employed do 25 26 24 28 38 25 21 12 100 0
Not emulo ved do___._.- 75 74 76 72 62 75 79 88 0 100
Households serving meals to:
Household helD - - - do 13 1 7 31 10 15 19 10 9 14
Guests -. -.__ - do 30 22 25 45 29 28 28 37 33 30
Boarders ^ ^~ do 5 8 5 2 3 9 6 4 6 5
INDIANAPOLIS, IND., SPRING 1953
Households -~ Number 305 93 107 103 104 77 55 57 95 210
Percent 100 30 35 34 34 25 18 19 31 69
Income (1952);
Dollars Under 3,500- 5,000
3,500 4,999 and over
Approximate median do_______ 4,200 2,800 4, 100 6,200 4,200 4, 100 4,500 4,000 4,500 4, 100
Average household size (21 meals at Persons 3. 14 3. 13 3.40 2. 88 L88 2.93 3.87 5.42 2. 82 3.29
home=l person).
Employment of homemaker:
All households _ _ __ Percent 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 100
Employed ___.-do 31 28 29 37 34 31 27 21 100 0
Not employed __„ do 69 72 71 63 66 69 73 79 0 100
Households serving meals to:
Household help -- do 7 3 4 14 9 6 4 7 5 8
Guests — do___^^._ 24 16 20 35 20 30 24 23 20 25
Boarders ~ - - do 3 1 7 0 2 3 0 7 1 3
EVERETT, WASH,, FALL 1953
Households^ Number. 226 60 76 90 79 59 37 46 54 172
Income (1953): Percent _. 100 27 34 39 36 26 16 20 24 76
Range Dollars, Under 3, 000- 4,000
3,000 3,999 and over
AvheormAagpee p= rh olo xpuiesmersahotoenl d)m. esidziea n( 21 meals at Pers-odnos. . 33,7.2030 23,0.0070 33,5. 0105 4,3 9.4000 3L,59070 32,7.9000 3,3 .9 9030 4,5 .14050 43,2. 0103 33,6.2060
Employment of homemaker;
HoAulslENe hmhoootpu lelsdomesyh pseoeldlord vysie ndg meals to: Perc-ddeoon_.t. . 1720640 1801505 1801307 1360640 1720640 1270640 1270280 1720820 1100000 1100000
HBGoouauerssdteseh rosl d help .-.dddooo__. (') 343 3022 2903 3941 2091 4103 3050 3592 3122 3043
1 Based on households reporting income. Excludes 2 households in apolis, 5 in Everett) are not' shown separately, Included in data for all
Indianapolis which are included in data for all households. households.
2 Households of 1 meal-equivalent person (10 in Birmingham, 12 in Indian- 3 0.5 percent or less.
tn
The percentage of large households (5 or more differences in household practices in use of food
persons) was greater in Birmingham than in the between those with low and high incomes in that
other cities; the average size of these households city might reflect differences in food patterns
was also larger. between white and Negro families (if any) as well
Median income was lowest in Birmingham as differences associated with income.
($3,200), highest in Indianapolis ($4,200), and mid- In Birmingham and in Everett about one-fourth
way in Everett ($3,700). Families were divided of the homemakers in households surveyed were
into three groups according to their incomes. In employed away from home; in Indianapolis, nearly
Birmingham and Indianapolis, it was possible to one-third. One-third of the employed home-
make each of these groups approximately equal in makers in the southern city worked less than 30
size. Within each group, median income was hours a week. Part-time employment was some-
lower in Birmingham than in Indianapolis. How- what less common in Everett and much less
ever, the difference between the high- and low- common in Indianapolis (appendix table 36).
income groups in the former city was much greater The level of formal schooling attained by the
than in the latter city. In Everett it was not Indianapolis homemakers was higher than that
possible to divide the income groups into thirds, in Birmingham. In the northern city about one-
as in the other cities; some families that might well fifth had attended college and one-fifth had not
have been classed as middle income are in the high gone beyond grade school; in the southern city,
group because of the intervals in which income was these proportions were about one-tenth and two-
reported. Therefore, in Everett, the median fifths, respectively. The educational level of the
income of the high-income group is not as high Everett homemakers was between those in the
compared with the low-income group as it would other two cities.
have been with more equal division of the families More of the southern than of the northern
according to their incomes. homemakers had household help to whom they
The proportions of white and nonwhite families served meals. In Birmingham, 13 percent re-
surveyed in each city were similar to census ported one or more meals to household help during
distributions by race. In Birmingham 44 percent the week; in Indianapolis and Everett, 7 and 3
were nonwhite, in Indianapolis 14 percent, and in percent, respectively. About a third of the
Everett none. In Birmingham about three- families in Everett and in Birmingham, and a
fourths of the households in the lowest income fourth in Indianapolis, had guests for meals
group, one-half in the middle group, and ouly a during the survey week. Few in any of the
tenth in the highest were Negro. Therefore, any three cities had boarders.