Food consumption

National Food Review, April-June, 1989 by Judith Putnam

Per capita potato consumption has been relatively constant since 1972, as frozen potatoes have substituted for fresh. In 1987, Americans consumed an average of 123 pounds per capita (farm weight basis). Of that, fresh market potatoes and frozen potatoes each accounted for 38 percent, chips and shoestrings, 14 percent, dehydrated potatoes, 8 percent, and canned potatoes, 2 percent.

Flour and Cereal Products

Consumption of flour and grains increased in recent years. In 1987, per capita use of flour and cereal products was 169 pounds, compared with 139 pounds in 1972.

Wheat flour represents about 75 percent of U.S. grain consumption. Average use in 1987 was 128 pounds, up 15 percent from the early 1970's. One reason for the rise is greater consumption of pasta, up from 8.6 pounds per person in 1972 to 17.1 pounds in 1987.

Consumption increased for other cereal products as well. Cornmeal use rose from 6.2 pounds per capita in 1972 to 6.7 pounds in 1987. Rice almost doubled during the same period. In contrast, consumption of rye, barley, and hominy continued to decline.

Breakfast cereal consumption has also risen, from an average of 10.8 pounds in 1972 to 15.2 pounds in 1987. Ready-to-eat cereals made up 11.6 pounds of the 1987 total, compared with 8.2 pounds in 1972, an increase of 41 percent. Cooked cereal consumption increased 38 percent over the same period to 3.6 pounds per capita in 1987. The most recent data available show the United States led the world in per capita consumption of breakfast cereals in 1986, with 14.8 pounds per person, followed by Ireland, 12.6 pounds, Australia, 8.3 pounds, New Zealand, 7.9 pounds, Canada, 7.8 pounds, and Sweden, 3.4 pounds.

Beverage Consumption

In 1987, Americans drank more beverages than ever before. While average consumption of nonalcoholic beverages remained relatively stable in the last two decades, soft drinks substituted for milk and coffee. Soft drink consumption, which reached 30.3 gallons per person in 1986, probably rose slightly in 1987 and 1988. (The National Soft Drink Association discontinued estimating U.S. soft drink consumption in 1987.)

Per capita citrus juice consumption grew roughly 20 percent between 1972 and 1987. Use of noncitrus juices increased sharply, rising nearly 40 percent between 1972 and 1981, the last year for which disappearance data are available for apple, pineapple, and cranberry juices. Data from grocery stores indicate that the upward trend in noncitrus juice consumption has continued during the 1980's. Bottled water is another popular item. According to the International Bottled Water Association, Americans consumed an average of 5.7 gallons of bottled water per capita in 1987, 25 percent more than in 1985.

Between 1972 and 1987, average use of alcoholic beverages among adults 21 years and older increased 8 percent. Wine use gained over 30 percent, reaching 3.4 gallons per adult, and beer increased 9 percent, to 34.4 gallons per adult. Distilled spirits, however, declined over 25 percent from 1972 to 2.3 gallons per adult.