Editor's note: This article appeared in the May 27, 2009, edition of Quirk's e-newsletter.

Most U.S. adults - 81 percent, in fact - report making some effort to limit spending on groceries, and 40 percent report that they're eating foods that are less nutritious since they cut back, according to a study from Multi-sponsor Surveys, Princeton, N.J.

More than one-quarter (28 percent) of adults report "strong" efforts and 53 percent report "some" efforts to cut back on food spending. Not surprisingly, of the subgroups identified based on their current financial status, those most likely to report eating less-nutritious food as a result of cutbacks are the two groups hit hardest by the recession: those who are "down and out" (65 percent eating less nutritiously) and those "on the edge" (59 percent eating less nutritiously). Among a third group, "hold-outs" (mainly young people with low incomes), 45 percent report eating less nutritiously. However, even among the two best-off groups, "cautious optimists" and "secure spenders" (both older than the average population), 18 percent and 21 percent, respectively, said the food they are eating is less healthy.

Asked which foods they are eating more of in order to save money, respondents as a whole cited pasta/macaroni (44 percent), sandwiches (39 percent), soup (36 percent), eggs (36 percent), cold cereal (36 percent), bread (29 percent), peanut butter (28 percent), tuna fish (27 percent), beans (26 percent) and hot dogs (22 percent). Among those who currently consume alcohol, 63 percent reported limited spending on these beverages, with 14 percent of the total making "strong" efforts, and the rest "some" efforts to reduce spending on alcohol. Other categories heavily affected by spending reductions include desserts (61 percent), organic (56 percent), bottled water (52 percent), cold cereal (51 percent), cheese (49 percent) and seafood (47 percent).