The chart illustrates the average amount of milk-derived food items consumed in the USA between 1970 and 2010.
Overall, the habit of eating ice creams decreased slightly. In contrast, cheese and yogurt consumption increased substantially.
In 1970, the most popular dairy product was full-fat ice cream, with an average consumption of 11 pounds per person yearly. While this figure remained relatively stable during the first decade observed, cheese consumption rose sharply and surpassed that of full-fat ice cream in 1977. By 2010, cheese was consolidated as the most consumed dairy product, at around 22,5 pounds per capita.
The average amount of low-fat ice cream eaten by Americans showed slight fluctuations over the 40 years observed. However, it remained consistently just under 5 pounds per capita. Only about 1 pound of yogurt was consumed per person in 1970, but after changes in consumer habits, it surpassed low-fat ice cream in 1999. Since its popularity continued to grow, yogurt consumption peaked at just under 10 pounds per capita in 2010, having surpassed full-fat ice cream in the previous year.