The Decline of Beef’s Popularity
In the early 1970s, beef was a staple in the American diet, symbolised by dishes like stroganoff, stews, and steak lunches. However, since its peak in 1975, when Americans consumed an average of nearly 90 pounds of beef per year, there has been a significant decline. Today, this figure has dropped to around 57 pounds per person, with chicken replacing beef as the most consumed meat in the US.
Environmental Impact and Consumer Trends
This decrease in beef consumption is a positive development for the environment. Beef production is notably more resource-intensive than poultry or pig meat, generating ten times the greenhouse gas emissions. When compared to plant-based proteins, the environmental impact of beef is even more pronounced, being 20 to 60 times greater.
Demographic Insights into Beef Consumption
A study from Tulane University in New Orleans sheds light on the demographics of beef consumption in the US. The research, led by Diego Rose, director of Tulane University’s nutrition program, analysed data from a nationwide survey conducted between 2015 and 2018.
The survey asked American adults to recall their food consumption over the previous 24 hours. High consumers of beef, defined as those eating more than 4 ounces a day (slightly more than a single cooked hamburger), were surprisingly few. Only 12 percent of respondents accounted for half of the total beef consumed, with a tendency to be male and aged between 50 to 65 – aligning with the baby boomer generation.
Generational Preferences and Health Considerations
The current high consumers of beef likely developed their eating habits during the 1970s, the ‘golden era’ of beef in the US. Since then, rising prices and health concerns linked to red meat have led to beef becoming a less central part of the American diet.
According to Rose, dietary habits formed in young adulthood tend to persist. Interestingly, people aged 66 and older were less likely to be high consumers of beef, possibly due to health advice from doctors and the natural changes in dietary preferences with age.
