Our Changing Food Consumption Patterns
Food consumption in the U.S. has changed considerably over the last twenty years. A comparison of recent food intake surveys to information collected during the late 1970's suggests we are eating more grain products, fruits and vegetables while eating less in the way of meat and dairy products. A lot points to a healthier diet for Americans including a doubling of our consumption of non-citrus fruit juices and a significant switch from whole milk to 2% or low fat milk.
We have managed to sneak in a few extra desserts, however. Ice-cream and pudding consumption were up about 30% according to this survey.
What about beverages? It appears we are drinking a lot more today than we use to. The biggest gainers in average per person volume? . . . soda, beer and diet soda. An amazing 55% of our average beverage intake by weight comes from soda and beer today. The figure is way from the 30% figure which was observed in the late 1970's.
Several other funny items emerged from the recent survey results. Our total fat intake has fallen by about 30%, but some how we have managed to get heavier, about 11 lbs. heavier. 20% of adults surveyed in the late '70's were classified as overweight according to national nutritional standards. This rose to about 30% in the most recent survey.
According to the USDA survey, we are doing more snacking and eating out more. . . a lot more. Young children and adult women shared the largest in eating away from home, reflecting the increasing numbers of women working outside the home.
In sum, we have made some strides as food consumers toward a healthier diet. We still, however, need to keep aware how our changing lifestyles affect our changing diets. Check out your shopping the next few times out and keep a mental note of your outside food purchases. . . see how your food and diet are stacking up.
For More Information
For additional information, please contact, Tim Woods.