Urban consumption of processed and fast foods is a challenge to nutrition security. Observed differences in urban versus rural consumption are commonly attributed to higher income levels in urban areas. Yet, there is still no clear understanding of why and how urban dwellers consume differently. Using India as a case study, we analyze expenditures on processed foods and consumption of food away from home (FAFH) of urban, metropolitan, and rural populations using OLS regression models. We show that urban households spend more on processed foods and consume more FAFH than rural households. Most of this difference can be attributed to differing socio-economic and demographic factors, such as higher income, or smaller urban household size. However, even after controlling for these factors, we find differences not only between rural and urban areas but also between different urban areas: households in large metropolitan areas consume more than households in smaller non-metropolitan urban areas. These inter-urban variations suggest that the dichotomy of urban versus rural consumption does not adequately capture the full spectrum of food consumption complexities. Our findings indicate that urbanization is affecting how people consume food beyond shaping their socio-economic and demographic status. We also highlight the need to account for the role of urbanization—beyond an urban-rural dichotomy—when addressing the challenges associated with changing food consumption patterns.

城市对加工和快餐食品的消费对营养安全构成了挑战。观察到的城乡消费差异通常归因于城市地区较高的收入水平。然而，对于城市居民为何以及如何以不同的方式消费，目前尚无明确的认识。以印度为案例研究，我们使用OLS回归模型分析了城市，都市和农村人口的加工食品支出和外来食品消费（FAFH）。我们表明，与农村家庭相比，城市家庭在加工食品上的支出更多，而FAFH的消费量更多。这种差异中的大部分可以归因于不同的社会经济和人口因素，例如较高的收入或较小的城市家庭规模。但是，即使在控制了这些因素之后，我们发现，不仅城乡之间存在差异，而且城市之间也存在差异：大城市地区的家庭消费量要多于非大城市规模的家庭。这些城市间的差异表明，城市消费与农村消费的二分法不能充分反映整个粮食消费复杂性。我们的发现表明，城市化正在影响人们消费食物的方式，而不仅仅是影响其社会经济和人口状况。我们还强调指出，在应对与食物消费模式变化有关的挑战时，除了城乡二分法外，还需要考虑城市化的作用。这些城市间的差异表明，城市消费与农村消费的二分法不能充分反映整个粮食消费复杂性。我们的研究结果表明，城市化不仅影响着社会经济和人口状况，还影响着人们的饮食方式。我们还强调指出，在应对与食物消费模式变化有关的挑战时，除了城乡二分法外，还需要考虑城市化的作用。这些城市间的差异表明，城市消费与农村消费的二分法不能充分反映整个粮食消费复杂性。我们的发现表明，城市化正在影响人们消费食物的方式，而不仅仅是影响其社会经济和人口状况。我们还强调指出，在应对与食物消费模式变化有关的挑战时，除了城乡二分法外，还需要考虑城市化的作用。