The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation recent commissioned a study of Canadian Eating Habits over the past 50 years, and the exercise revealed some interesting shifts. I think it’s fair to say that the results of such a survey in the U.S. would be very similar; maybe not quite so similar in Europe…
Interesting trends in Beverage Preferences among Canadians:
Some surprising, others not so much…
Where to I start?
Fifty years ago… That was 1978. Butter was $1.33 lb. / $2.93 kg, New York Strip Steak was $2.33 lb. / $5.12 kg, i dozen Eggs were $0.48, 1 lb. Bacon was $1.20 / $2.64 kg., Gas was $0.70 gal. / $0.15 L.
But what were we eating?
Starches…
The CBC study says we’re eating a little less Starch overall, but Wheat Flour has gained over Potatoes, as the top pick, and what’s thought to be in large part due to the increase in popularity of Pasta and Asian Noodles over the past couple of decades. Way back of those two perennial leaders come the two next-fave Starches, Rice and Corn. Corn’s popularity has been more or less flat for the past 50 years, but Rice has been sneaking up steadily and has gained a slight ascendancy over Corn since the mid 2000s.
Meats…
Beef was king of the dining table in 1978, with Canadians consuming nearly 32.6 kg / 71.7 lb. per capita on average. By 2017, Beef consumption was down sharply to just 16.6 kg / 36.5 lb. per person, in a more or less steady decline, especially in recent years, as Beef prices skyrocketed. Chicken made gains mirroring Beef’s fall, though not as abrupt, riding steadily in popularity from 14.6 kg / 32.1 lb per person in 1978 to 24.8 kg / 54.5 lb. in 2017.
Pork consumption averaged a relatively steady 18.0 kg / 39.6 l. per person per year over the past 50 years, while Fish and Seafood were almost perfectly flat at about 8.0 kg / 17.6 lb.
Fruits…
Bananas have risen steadily in popularity, from 9.8 kg / 21.5 lb per person in 1978 to 15.7 kg / 34.5 lb per person last year. Apples have averaged about 12.0- Kg per person per year over the past 50 years, and Oranges declined from a 50-year high in popularity in 1977-78 to a near low for the same period last year. The real surprize was Melons of all kinds, which more than doubled in popularity over the past 50 years.
Veggies…
While phenomenae like the Med Diet and repeated admonitions to eat more more Fruits and Veggies have increased manyfold in the past couple of decades, especially, the popularity of Salad Ingredients and Veggie sides has remained more or less consistent, with Tomatoes, Carrots, Lettuce and Onions dominating, while some, such as Spinach, Asparagus, Broccoli and Rapini have made modest gains
There’s much more…
The survey also looked at the popularity of various beverages over the past 50 years as well as the shifts in Dairy consumption as Milk Substitutes entered the marketplace.
Want to see what the fastest growing foods were? The full story, with info-graphics, is here…
Many of the decreases in popularity, I think, are associated with increases in price of various foods espacially over the past couple of decades.
Yes, I am old enough to remember when food prices were as mentioned in the preamble to this post. I also remember that, in the summer of that year, the Soup Companies cleared the remainder of the previous year’s Tomato and its variants for as little as $0.19 per can, and my monthly water Bill was under $10.00. *Sigh*…
~ Maggie J.