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We often think of young adults as being much too busy, or cool, to make meals at home.

But new data released by the NPD Group shows that those between the ages of 18 and 47 are staying home and cooking more and more.

The study found that each of the last four years has shown a decline in commercial foodservice traffic among all people over the age of 18. This drop is most pronounced in the 18-47 age group, where there was a 6% drop in dining out between 2008 and 2012.

Historically, data has shown that people eat out less frequently the older they get.

But there has been slight bump in the eating-out rate for people in the 55-64 age group, and a dramatic increase among those older than 64.

“A lot of restaurant marketing dollars are aimed at Millennials but market share capture remains the growth path for restaurant operators, just as it has been for the past five years,” Bonnie Riggs, NPD restaurant industry analyst, told the Consumerist.

“Gaining market share among population segments increasing in both number and their use of restaurants, like Boomers, eases the struggle. Operators just need to keep in mind that reaching the older customers requires recognizing what it is they want from their restaurant experiences” she added.

Are you eating out more...or less these days???  And why???