According to Bloomberg, U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) data show that Americans will eat an estimated 54.3 pounds of the red meat this year—the first increase since 2006 and almost half a pound more per person than in 2015. Cheaper prices are spurring discounts and new menu items at restaurant chains, including Chili’s and Wendy’s. Protein-centric diets such as the Paleolithic, or Paleo, and Autoimmune Protocol that eliminate grains and sugar also are fueling the shift. Increased beef production also is contributing to the rise.
At the start of 2014, U.S. cattle supplies were the lowest in more than six decades after years of drought in the South and Southwest. The shortage sent beef prices soaring, but since then ranchers have been able to raise more cattle. The latest USDA numbers show herds at a five-year high, which is helping to drive prices down. In February, a pound of uncooked ground beef retailed for $4.38, about 7% below a year ago, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
However, it should be noted that even with this year’s increase in beef consumption, it is still much lower than in the past. In 1976, for example, Americans ate as much as 94.3 pounds per person. Chicken has outpaced it since the early 1990s, and diners are projected to eat more than twice as much chicken, turkey and pork this year.
