More consumers are dining out these days, and want to increase their meals away from home, according to results from a study conducted by Market Force Information.

The research firm reported that 25 percent of the 4,600 respondents indicated that they plan to eat out more often during the next three months compared to the previous three months. This figure compares to a meager 5 percent reported by consumers in December 2009. Back then, 52 percent of consumers reported eating out less at that time because of financial fears, compared to just 8 percent most recently, according to Market Force.

The study indicates some growth among restaurants and the dining community after a slowly recovering economy. Market Force also found that healthy dining options are important to consumers, with 42 percent of respondents showing a demand for posted nutritional information. In addition, 36 percent of consumers said it was very important that restaurants focus on serving appropriate-sized portions. And, locally-grown and locally-sourced foods are of greater importance (55 percent said it was somewhat important, 24 percent said very important).

About 67 percent of respondents said they don't expect their eating-out out patterns to change during the next three months, compared to 44 percent in the December survey. On the social media front, roughly half of consumers responding to the survey said they sometimes look to online reviews, blogs and "tweets" for restaurant information, and about 1 in 2 people had read one of these forms of communication in the past month. Thirteen percent had actually posted a user-review themselves.