The Average American Eats 387 Meals Alone Each Year

Costs half the price, too.

October 9, 2019
woman eating alone

Getty Images


Let me start by saying, there's nothing wrong with eating alone. Going to concerts alone. Going to movies alone. I do pretty much everything alone, it's not my choice, but there's still nothing wrong with it, dammit.

Stat #1:  A new survey found the average American eats 387 meals ALONE each year... or about 1 meal a day, on average.

Stat #2:  Two-thirds of us feel like we're not really eating alone... as long as we've got our PHONE with us.

Stat #3:  The average American now eats as many meals alone with their phone as they do with any one person they know.  Including spouses and children.  Six solo meals with our phone each week, and six with the person we eat with most often.

The survey found most of us don't actually think there's a stigma about it anymore though.  And 68% even look forward to eating alone.

The five most common reasons we eat by ourselves are: 
It's more relaxing
We're too busy
We want to save money, and not make an 'event' out of every meal
Our friends are too busy
It's a good way to catch up on TV shows.

The poll also found a third of all our social interactions now happen online.