Per-capita consumption of meat will climb again this year, according to USDA estimates, up a bit more than 1 percent from 2016 to average out at 217.2 pounds. This time, Americans will proportionally eat more red meat — beef, pork and lamb — than poultry, such as chicken and turkey, but the numbers will be close.
The monthly Livestock, Poultry and Dairy Outlook says Americans will consume an average 108.8 pounds of red meat, such as hamburgers and pork chops, compared to 108.4 pounds of poultry, such as roast turkey, skinless chicken breasts and chicken nuggets. In percentage terms, the split is 51.1 percent red meat and 49.9 percent poultry.
In 2016, the split was 50.2 percent poultry and 49.8 percent red meat. “Although poultry production is expected to rise 2 percent this year, strong production increases of beef and pork — 4.1 percent and 4.7 percent, respectively — largely explain the share of red meat availability in 2017,” says the report.