Dive Brief:
- In 2013, the average American ate less than one egg per day (roughly .68), which amounts to about half the consumption in 1945, when Americans ate an average of 1.15 a day.
- There are a number of possible reasons for the decline of the egg, including availability of other protein options, and health perceptions.
- One other possible factor at work is the inverse correlation between egg consumption and income.
Dive Insight:
We're already familiar with the bad rap eggs have gotten for cholesterol. In fact, the egg industry estimates that the “cholesterol scare” cost it $10 billion. But these historical figures may be a little skewed, as explained in this Quartz article. People without access to meat, as in the case of wartime rationing, are more likely to eat more eggs while people with more money (the median U.S. household income has increased 19% since 1967) will opt for higher priced protein sources than eggs. Either way, it is clear that Americans are eating differently today than they did in the past, due to changing tastes and perceptions of what constitutes a healthy diet.