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The food consumption patterns of families that are headed by a female who acts as a single parent are analyzed and compared with the consumption of families with the traditional dual-parent structure. In particular, the use of convenience foods and spending in restaurants are studied. Results show that there is no marked distinction between the consumption patterns of the two types of families.

This article reports on the convenience food and restaurant use habits of female-headed single parent families. Consumer behavior researchers have been encouraged to study the family, especially with respect to decision making. The most comprehensive existing theoretical marketing model on family purchasing and decision making assumes that children are growing up in a two parent family structure. However, in actuality, the family structure today includes not only married couples with children, but also a myriad alternative family structures, including female-headed single parent families. According to the 1990 US census, there are 92 million households in the United States, with 70 percent considered family households and 30 percent considered nonfamily households. Of the 64 million family households, approximately 11 percent are headed by females alone, compared with 5 percent in 1970. Female-headed single parent families represent the fastest growing family type, up 36 percent since 1980.