There are so many different ways to think about this question!
The simplest way to answer is to look at the average individual consumption of meat and then multiply that by family size (since we have so many different sized families). In 2018, the average American ate 222 lbs of meat or 0.6 lbs per day. So we can say that an average family of four consumes about 888 lbs of meat in a year (or 74lb per month). To capture a wider range, we can also say it is somewhere between 700 and 1000lbs of meat.
Interesting fact: In America, the most eaten type of meat is chicken, with beef in second and pork in third.
Now that we’ve given a simple answer, we can think outside the box a little. Let’s say you’re stocking up for an emergency and want to make sure that you have enough calories to support your family for a whole year. If that’s the case, then we’ll need to think about calories.
A very rough number that we can work with is that a lb of meat contains 1000 calories. Keep in mind that meat calories depends a lot on the volume of fat. Higher fat meat contains more calories. But using 1000 as a middle range number we can then determine that the average child could get enough calories from about 1lb of meat per day, the average woman could get enough calories (1500) from 1.5lbs of meat, and the average of man could get enough calories (2000) from 2lbs of meat.
You can adjust the numbers for your family accordingly, but let’s take a family of four with two adults and two children. The man would need 2lbs x 365 days or 730lbs per year. The woman would need 1.5lbs x 365 days or 548lbs per year. And each child would need 365lbs per year. The total would then be: 730 + 548 + 365 + 365 = 2008lbs of meat.
So as you can see, while the average family of four is only eating 888 lbs of meat per year, they are getting less than half their needed calories from meat. If they were to get all their needed calories from meat, then they would be eating about 2000 lbs per year (or 168lbs per month).
FAQs
So we can say that an average family of four consumes about 888 lbs of meat in a year (or 74lb per month). To capture a wider range, we can also say it is somewhere between 700 and 1000lbs of meat. Interesting fact: In America, the most eaten type of meat is chicken, with beef in second and pork in third.
How much meat does the average family eat in a year? ›
How Much Meat Is Consumed in the U.S.? According to the USDA, the average U.S. resident consumes 224.6 pounds of meat — beef, pork, broilers and turkey — every year.
How much meat do you need for a year? ›
This equates to 1.75-3.5 pounds of meat per person per week. So, a family of four would require 7-14 pounds of meat per week, or 364-728 pounds of meat per year.
How much meat does the average person eat per week? ›
In fact, on average we eat about five servings (17 ounces) of red and processed meat per week.
How much meat does each person in the world eat annually? ›
The per capita consumption of meat is forecast to grow in every part of the world by 2031. OECD countries had the highest per capita consumption of meat from 2019 to 2021, at 69.5 kilograms of retail weight per person. The world average per capita consumption is only about 34.1 kilograms.
How much meat per month? ›
Dietary goal
If you eat red meat, limit consumption to no more than about three portions per week. Three portions is equivalent to about 350–500g (about 12–18oz) cooked weight. Consume very little, if any, processed meat.
How much does the average American family spend on meat per year? ›
The largest food-at-home expenditures were for meat and poultry, an average of $1,115 per household in 2021. Expenditures on cereal and bakery products, $670, exceeded the $490 spent on dairy products.
How much meat should we eat a year? ›
Dietary guidelines recommend a maximum of 455g cooked (600–700g raw weight) lean red meat per week, in order to meet iron and zinc recommendations. That's about one small portion (65g cooked/100g raw) if you're eating it every night of the week, or one larger portion (130g cooked/200g raw) every second day.
What is the average amount of meat per person? ›
When cooking something like steak, turkey or pork, where meat is the main dish of the meal and paired with a few side dishes, we recommend about 1/2 pound (eight ounces) per person, or up to 3/4 (12 ounces) pound for bigger appetites and those who love leftovers.
How much beef is eaten per year? ›
Beef consumption in the U.S. 2002-2022. Beef consumption in the United States reached a new high in 2021, when 30 billion pounds were consumed.
While meat can be a part of a healthy diet, not all sources are created equal. The leanest and healthiest meats to eat include poultry, pork, fish, and seafood.
What is the most eaten meat in the world? ›
1. Pork. Pork, the meat from hogs, or domestic swine, is the most consumed animal in the world at 36% (Source: UN-FAO). Pork is commonly thought of as white meat, but it is actually classified as red meat by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
What food do Americans eat the most? ›
popularity is the % of people who have a positive opinion of a american dish. Find out more
- 1 Hamburgers85%
- 2 French Fries84%
- 3 Grilled Cheese84%
- 4 Fried Chicken83%
- 5 Cheeseburger83%
- 6 Mashed potatoes82%
- 7 Corn on the Cob81%
- 8 Steak and Baked potato81%
So we can say that an average family of four consumes about 888 lbs of meat in a year (or 74lb per month). To capture a wider range, we can also say it is somewhere between 700 and 1000lbs of meat. Interesting fact: In America, the most eaten type of meat is chicken, with beef in second and pork in third.
Which country eats the most meat? ›
Which country eats the most meat? As of 2023, the country that eats the most meat per capita is the United States. Americans consume an average of around 120 kilograms of meat per person per year.
What country eats the least meat? ›
India - 3 kg per capita
The world's second most populous, with an astonishing 1.3 billion people, India holds the distinction of consuming the least meat per capita. With its staggering population, this is even more striking, and indeed with only 3 kg of meat per capita per year consumed, no other country eats less.
How many pounds of meat does a family of 4 eat a year? ›
So we can say that an average family of four consumes about 888 lbs of meat in a year (or 74lb per month). To capture a wider range, we can also say it is somewhere between 700 and 1000lbs of meat. Interesting fact: In America, the most eaten type of meat is chicken, with beef in second and pork in third.
How much meat does the average Chinese person eat per year? ›
This statistic depicts the per capita consumption of meat products in China from 2017 to 2021 and forecasts until 2029. In 2021, Chinese consumed on average 45.1 kilograms of meat per person, an increase from around 44.4 kilograms in the year before.
Do 12% of Americans eat half beef? ›
A recent study shows that on any given day, just 12% of people in the US account for half of all beef consumed in the US. “It may be that some of those 12% don't realize the impacts that beef has on their health or the environment,” said study author Diego Rose, professor and director of nutrition at Tulane University.
How much food does a family eat in a year? ›
1,996 pounds, or nearly one ton. This is an estimate of how much — by weight — the average American eats over the course of one year.
