Table 2. Leftovers selected and saved as a percent of items, by food, meal and participant characteristics.
| Categories | Leftovers Selected | N | Leftovers Saved Among Items not Fully Consumed | N |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total: % of Items | 12.15% | 1,177 | 24.37% | 197 |
| [% of calories] | [9.71%] | [28.06%] | ||
| By Food Type | (p = 0.001***) | (p = 0.567) | ||
| Baked Products | 10.09% | 109 | 21.05% | 19 |
| Breakfast Cereals, Grains, & Pasta | 16.25% | 80 | 35.71% | 14 |
| Dairy & Egg Products | 8.23% | 158 | 23.53% | 17 |
| Fast Foods & Restaurant Foods | 7.06% | 85 | 10.34% | 29 |
| Fruits & Fruit Juices | 6.90% | 87 | 23.08% | 13 |
| Nut, Seeds, & Legumes | 5.17% | 58 | 0.00% | 3 |
| Fats, Oils, Soups, Sauces, Gravies, Spices, & Herbs |
11.50% | 113 | 22.58% | 31 |
| Meats & Meat Products | 16.03% | 156 | 33.33% | 24 |
| Sweets | 5.26% | 76 | 20.00% | 10 |
| Vegetables & Vegetable Products | 19.22% | 255 | 32.43% | 37 |
| By Eating Occasion | (p<0.000***) | (p = 0.563) | ||
| Breakfast | 4.78% | 251 | 12.90% | 31 |
| Morning Snack | 0.00% | 25 | 33.33% | 3 |
| Lunch | 19.11% | 429 | 26.14% | 88 |
| Afternoon Snack | 9.26% | 54 | 16.67% | 6 |
| Dinner | 10.88% | 377 | 28.36% | 67 |
| Evening Snack | 7.32% | 41 | 0.00% | 2 |
| By Day of the Week | (p<0.000***) | (p = 0.016**) | ||
| Monday | 23.75% | 160 | 12.20% | 41 |
| Tuesday | 8.33% | 168 | 40.63% | 32 |
| Wednesday | 13.94% | 165 | 33.33% | 24 |
| Thursday | 10.11% | 188 | 34.62% | 26 |
| Friday | 12.74% | 157 | 33.33% | 18 |
| Saturday | 10.80% | 176 | 13.79% | 29 |
| Sunday | 6.15% | 163 | 11.11% | 27 |
| By Gender | (p<0.000***) | (p = 0.420) | ||
| Female | 10.47% | 993 | 24.62% | 195 |
| Male | 21.20% | 184 | 0.00% | 2 |
| By Age | (p<0.000***) | (p = 0.001***) | ||
| < 40 | 2.65% | 113 | 10.00% | 40 |
| 40–49 | 7.17% | 321 | 34.62% | 26 |
| 50–59 | 13.10% | 580 | 20.39% | 103 |
| 60 and older | 25.15% | 163 | 50.00% | 28 |
| By an Item’s Waste Rate | (p = 0.149) | (p = 0.104) | ||
| None | 13.16% | 980 | 20.27% | 148 |
| <25% | 8.47% | 59 | 40.00% | 35 |
| 25% - 49.9% | 7.14% | 56 | 27.27% | 11 |
| 50% - 74.9% | 3.36% | 55 | 33.33% | 3 |
| 75% or more | 11.11% | 27 | 20.27% | 148 |
| By Calories Selected for Occasion | (p = 0.000***) | (p = 0.032**) | ||
| <250 | 4.63% | 216 | 21.74% | 23 |
| 250–499 | 10.00% | 320 | 16.28% | 43 |
| 500–749 | 21.01% | 338 | 12.82% | 39 |
| 750 or more | 9.90% | 303 | 33.70% | 92 |
Example interpretations are as follows (see line for baked products): 10.09% of the 109 baked product items selected by respondents for meals were identified as leftovers while 21.05% of the 19 baked product items that were selected but not fully consumed were being saved to become a leftover. p-values are from chi-square tests of association within each category.