Times change, and so do people's eating habits. In the past decade, one food has risen to the top, experiencing the most growth in the American diet: yogurt.
The NPD Group's National Eating Trends study tracks the eating habits of American families. The popularity of foods is measured by how many people consume a particular item at least once every two weeks. Since 2004, people consuming yogurt at least once every two weeks rose by 12.5 percent. USDA data supports this trend, with estimates that Americans are eating about 15 pounds of yogurt per year, up from 7 pounds in 2001.
Following in second place in terms of growing popularity was bottled water, up 10.7 percent. Meanwhile, third on the list is another plus for the dairy industry, as the number of people eating pizza at least once every two weeks rose 9.6 percent. Other foods that experienced the most significant growth in the last decade were poultry sandwiches, Mexican foods, fresh fruit, snack bars, frozen sandwiches, chips and pancakes.
In a society that seems more health conscious than ever, the report interestingly found a noticeable reduction in the consumption of products marked as lower calorie, reduced fat or with other similar health claims. At the peak in 2008, products consumed with such a label were at two and a half servings per person per day. In 2014, that number fell below two.
People are also turning to their own kitchens rather than restaurants for food. Americans purchased 191 restaurant meals per person for the year ending in August 2014, which was the slowest pace of eating out since 1993. The latest numbers show consumers are now getting eight out of 10 meals from home, but that doesn't necessarily mean they are cooking more. Based on the foods that have grown in popularity, people are still looking for convenience, choosing items that take little preparation to make.
