UK Covid takeaway habits persist as fast food calorie intake remains high

Delivery app riders cycling around cities and traffic jams at drive-throughs were familiar signs of Britain’s appetite for takeaway food at the height of the Covid pandemic. Now a study suggests it became a lasting habit.

Following a huge increase in orders on Deliveroo, Just Eat and other platforms by consumers in lockdown, research from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) highlights the popularity of takeaways, food deliveries and ready meals bought from retailers such as sandwiches and chips have remained above pre-pandemic levels following the lifting of Covid restrictions.

An analysis of data on the shopping habits of thousands of consumers shows that calorie consumption from takeaway meals increased by more than 50% during the height of the pandemic – and has remained high since as households continued to opt for a night in front of the TV. instead of a meal in a restaurant or pub.

Highlighting a major shift in the country’s diet and nutrition sources, the IFS said a legacy of the Covid lockdowns could have long-term effects on health and weight.

The study, which was funded by University College London’s Obesity Policy Research Unit, estimated that the average British adult consumed around 270 calories per week via takeaways before the pandemic. This rose to 395 calories a week during the first lockdown in 2020, when restaurants, pubs and cafes were forced to close as the pandemic spread.

Although the reopening of the hospitality industry later in the year saw a drop in takeaway food consumption, levels still remained higher than before the pandemic – even with the government’s ‘eat out to help out’ scheme in place.

During England’s third national lockdown of 2021, calorie consumption from takeaways rose further to an average of 470 calories per week, as the country adjusted to living with the pandemic and more restaurants and pubs switched to takeaway orders.

However, despite the easing of restrictions, these higher levels persisted following the widespread reopening of hospitality venues, with around 400 calories per week in early 2022 – 50% above pre-pandemic levels.

The researchers said they had only been able to examine data up to the first quarter of 2022, before the cost of living crisis. This means it is not entirely clear whether Britain’s takeaway habit has survived the sharpest rise in food prices since the 1970s. However, initial findings indicate a clear shift.

The research also found that the size of household shopping baskets increased at the height of the pandemic in 2020, but largely returned to normal afterwards. Total calorie purchases had returned to 2019 levels by 2022, suggesting that the increase in takeaways has come at the expense of coffee shops, pubs and restaurants.

Andrew McKendrick, research economist at IFS, said: “Lockdowns and closures of the hospitality industry have meant a greater role for at-home food consumption and takeaways. But by early 2022, most of these changes had been reversed: households had largely returned to purchasing as much as in 2019.

“However, the pandemic has left one legacy: the sharp increase in the use of takeaways.”