Table 3.

Percentage^a (±se) of 24-hour energy from meals and snacks reported in a 24-hour recall by adult Americans, National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) 1971–74 to 2007–2010

	NHANES I 1971–74	NHANES II 1976–1980	NHANES III 1988–1994	C-NHANES 1999–2002	C-NHANES 2003–2006	C-NHANES 2007–2010	Ptrend
Energy from main mealsb (kcal) (among all--population average)
Men (n=28945)	1904±21	1894±23	2010±22	1968±25	2030±15	1967±22	0.0003 ↑
Women (n=32621)	1246±14	1220±12	1363±14	1395±17	1405±16	1358±15	<0.0001 ↑
Energy from snacks c (kcal) (among all--population average)
Men (n=28945)	502±15	538±13	647±16	666±15	666±18	634±13	<0.0001 ↑
Women (n=32621)	296±7	295±7	399±8	444±9	424±11	438±8	<0.0001 ↑
% of 24-hour energy from main meals (among all--population average)
Men (n=28945)	80±0.4	79±0.4	77±0.4	76±0.4	77±0.4	77±0.4	<0.0001 ↓
Women (n=32621)	82±0.4	81±0.3	78±0.4	77±0.4	77±0.5	77±0.4	<0.0001 ↓
% of 24-hour energy from snacks (among all--population average)
Men (n=28945)	20±0.4	20±0.4	23±0.4	24±0.4	23±0.4	23±0.4	<0.0001 ↑
Women (n=32621)	18±0.4	19±0.3	22±0.4	23±0.4	23±0.5	23±0.4	<0.0001 ↑
% of 24-hour energy from snack(s) reported before breakfast (among reporters of before-breakfast snack)
Men (n=3018)	8.0±0.9	7.6±0.6	9.0±0.6	8.4±0.5	9.1±0.5	8.2±0.6	0.3
Women (n=3005)	5.7±0.5	6.9±0.6	7.3±0.5	9.7±0.6	7.7±0.6	7.0±0.5	0.03
% of 24-hour energy from snack(s) reported before breakfast (among all--population average)
Men (n=28945)	0.8±0.1	0.8±0.08	1.1±0.9	0.9±0.08	1.1±0.08	0.7±0.09	0.6
Women (n=32621)	0.4±0.05	0.5±0.07	0.8±0.07	1.2±0.1	0.8±0.08	0.8±0.06	<0.0001 ↑
% of 24-hour energy from breakfast(s) (among all--population average)
Men (n=28977)	16.7±0.3	16.2±0.2	15.8±0.2	15.5±0.3	15.8±0.3	16.4±0.3	0.3
Women (n=32657)	17.3±0.2	16.7±0.3	15.8±0.2	16.8±0.4	16.5±0.4	16.9±0.3	0.5
% of 24-hour energy from snack(s) reported between breakfast and lunch (among reporters of snack between breakfast and lunch)
Men (n=6301)	6.6±0.2	6.4±0.2	7.4±0.3	9.6±0.5	8.1±0.4	8.3±0.4	<0.0001 ↑
Women (n=7070)	6.9±0.3	6.9±0.3	7.8±0.3	9.3±0.4	9.2±0.5	9.2±0.4	<0.0001 ↑
% of 24-hour energy from snack(s) reported between breakfast and lunch (among all--population average)
Men (n=28945)	2.4±0.1	2.0±0.1	1.5±0.1	2.0±0.2	1.7±0.2	1.7±0.1	0.0001 ↓
Women (n=32621)	2.1±0.1	1.8±0.1	1.7±0.1	2.1±9.1	2.0±0.1	2.2±0.1	0.1
% of 24-hour energy from lunch (among all--population average)
Men (n=28945)	26.6±0.3	25.4±0.3	23.1±0.4	23.5±0.4	24.1±0.3	24.2±0.5	<0.0001 ↓
Women (n=32621)	26.8±0.3	25.9±0.3	24.0±0.3	25.8±0.6	25.0±0.5	23.3±0.3	<0.0001 ↓
% of 24-hour energy from snack(s) reported between lunch and dinner (among reporters of snack between lunch and dinner)
Men (n=9982)	9.1±0.3	10.0±0.3	10.9±0.3	12.2±0.4	12.3±0.3	12.8±0.4	<0.0001 ↑
Women (n=12062)	9.8±0.3	10.4±0.3	11.0±0.3	12.5±0.4	12.6±0.5	13.3±0.4	<0.0001 ↑
% of 24-hour energy from snack(s) reported between lunch and dinner (among all--population average)
Men (n=28945)	4.2±0.2	4.1±0.2	3.8±0.2	4.6±0.2	4.8±0.2	5.1±0.3	0.0001 ↑
Women (n=32621)	4.3±0.2	4.1±0.1	4.4±0.2	5.1±0.2	5.4±0.3	6.0±0.2	<0.0001 ↑
% of 24-hour energy from dinner (among all--population average)
Men (n=28945)	36.9±0.4	38.0±0.3	38.0±0.5	37.2±0.5	36.5±0.5	36.2±0.5	0.04
Women (n=32621)	37.6±0.3	38.8±0.3	38.4±0.4	34.4±0.4	35.9±0.4	36.5±0.5	<0.0001 ↓
% of 24-hour energy from snack(s) reported after dinner (among reporters of after-dinner snack)
Men (n=14303)	13.6±0.4	15.4±0.3	16.1±0.4	15.8±0.3	16.3±0.5	15.9±0.4	<0.0001 ↑
Women (n=16166)	13.6±0.3	14.3±0.2	14.7±0.3	15.2±0.5	15.1±0.4	14.8±0.4	0.009 ↑
% of 24-hour energy from snack(s) reported after dinner (among all--population average)
Men (n=28945)	8.1±0.3	8.9±0.2	8.0±0.3	7.8±0.2	8.4±0.3	8.8±0.3	0.8
Women (n=32621)	7.8±0.2	8.1±0.2	7.5±0.2	7.3±0.3	7.7±0.3	7.9±0.2	0.6
% of 24-hour energy from all otherd snacks (among reporters of “other” snack)
Men (n=8256)	21.2±0.9	22.5±0.9	25.3±0.6	26.6±0.7	25.8±0.9	24.6±0.9	0.001 ↑
Women (n=8374)	20.0±0.7	21.4±0.8	25.6±0.8	24.6±0.7	24.8±1.1	25.3±0.8	<0.0001 ↑
% of 24-hour energy from all otherd snacks (among all--population average)
Men (n=28945)	4.3±0.3	4.5±0.3	8.6±0.4	8.4±0.4	7.5±0.3	6.8±0.3	<0.0001 ↑
Women (n=32621)	3.6±0.3	4.1±0.3	7.4±0.3	7.3±0.3	6.6±0.4	6.5±0.3	<0.0001 ↑

^aEstimates are predicted means from sex-specific linear regression models with each meal behavior variable as a continuous outcome. Independent variables were: survey cycle (NHANES I, NHANES II, NHANES III, C-NHANES 1999–2002, 2003–2006, 2007–2010) as a categorical value or as a trend variable, age (continuous), race/ethnicity (non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, Other), family poverty income ratio (<130, 130–349, >349, unknown %), level of education (<12 y, 12y, some college, ≥ college), season of mobile examination center exam (Nov.–April, May–Oct.), weekday of recalled dietary intake (Monday–Thursday, Friday–Sunday), BMI (continuous), and employment status in the past one or two weeks (yes or no). n refers to number with complete covariate information. P_trend refers to the P value associated with the survey as a trend variable.

^bMain meal episodes comprised eating events named as breakfast, lunch, and dinner or equivalents in Spanish by respondents. Breakfast eating event was defined as AM meal (NHANES I and II), breakfast, desayuno, almuerzo (NHANES III, 1999–2002, 2003–2006, 2007–2010); lunch eating event defined as: noon meal (NHANES I and II), lunch, brunch or comida (NHANES III, 1999–2002, 2003–2006, 2007–2010); dinner defined as: PM meal (NHANES I and II), dinner, supper, or cena (NHANES III, 1999–2002, 2003–2006, 2007–2010).

^cSnack defined as any eating event identified as snack, drink, between meal, extended consumption, (any eating event which was not labeled as breakfast, lunch, dinner or equivalents in Spanish by the respondent). Events where only plain or bottled water was reported were not considered an eating episode.

^dSnacks not reported before breakfast, or between breakfast and lunch, or between lunch and dinner, or after dinner (e.g., snack(s) reported before lunch by subjects who reported no breakfast, etc).