Determinants of Dietary Choice in the US: Evidence from Consumer Migration.

I study the evolution of the quality of grocery purchases among migrants to learn how changes in the environment affect dietary choice. Using detailed household level panel data on food purchases I find that healthfulness of grocery purchases is very persistent in the short-run. Three to four decades after moving, however, households have closed about half of the gap in healthfulness between the origin and destination area. The results suggest that dietary habits are highly persistent, but may eventually shift in the face of different local environments.