The US Department of Agriculture reported that Americans are changing the way we eat. From 1970 to 2006, consumption of veal has dropped 83%, lamb is down by 62%, margarine has dropped by 58%, and white sugar has dropped by 39%.
I applaud these signs that people are taking their health more seriously, but I’m concerned about the drop in consumption of whole homogenized milk, which has gone down by 73%. I feel that if you’re going to give little kids milk, they deserve the full-fat version, especially if they’re under 10 and not overweight. Lets not forget that fat cushions our internal organs, gives us elastic skin and shiny hair, and helps us absorb certain fat-soluable vitamins. I always cringe when I see a well-intentioned mom offer skim milk to an active 3-year-old.
Interestingly, here in Colorado we have a burgeoning local lamb industry that is showing up on restaurant menus as “Colorado-raised lamb.” I wonder if we might have a local bump in lamb consumption that’s not reflected in the national numbers.
Margarine, of course, I’ve already talked about in this space, and white sugar is in general a suspect industry when it comes to our health, so I’m very glad to see those numbers drop.
