Now, Americans willingly eschew dining out

Eating at home may be one of the few behavioral changes from the recession that stick.

Forced to eat more homemade meals because money was tight, people learned new habits. Some found they enjoy cooking and dining in the comfort of home.

Now, as the economy improves and families have more money to spend, they're choosing to splurge on the occasional nice meal instead of forking over money to mediocre eateries during the week.

Restaurants traditionally have led other industries out of a recession, but this time they're at least a year and a half behind retailers, experts say. Sales of clothing grew 5 percent last year and autos rose 11 percent, as Americans started feeling better about their finances. But at casual sit-down restaurants such as Outback Steakhouse, the increase was just 1 percent - and some analysts say that could be the new norm.

"People are becoming not only accustomed to eating at home, they're enjoying it," said Darren Tristano, executive vice president of restaurant consulting firm Technomic Inc. "They can sit in front of their 50-inch flat-screens and not have to tip a waiter."

Americans lead the world in restaurant spending. About 44 percent of food dollars are spent outside the home, a figure that began rising sharply in the 1970s as more women joined the workforce.

Yet over the next decade, visits to U.S. restaurants are forecast to rise less than 1 percent a year - slower than the 1.1 percent a year growth in the nation's population, according to market research firm NPD Group.

Meanwhile, cooking has become hip, says Rick Smilow, president of the Institute for Culinary Education, where registration for recreational courses was up 10 percent last year.