Delicious snapshots of how people eat

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Boy, how Americans’ eating habits have changed.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently released a fascinating, and quite detailed, report on food availability and per-capita food trends over the last century. The report, as well as a searchable interactive map titled Your Food Environment Atlas, helps consumers see what’s happening in their own backyards (and in their grocery baskets).

The data were collected from producers and food distributors or estimated by government agencies using sampling methodology, the USDA said. And the result is some delicious snapshots of how people eat: Whole milk and beef consumption have generally declined since the mid-1940s, with the end of World War II, while that of nonfat milk, cheese and chicken have steadily grown. Fruit juice consumption slumped nationwide to 93 gallons per person a year in 2008 -- when the recession began being really felt -- down from 106.3 gallons a year earlier. Read more here:

-- P.J. Huffstutter

Photo: One woman watches as another prepares dinner. Credit: Lawrence K. Ho / Los Angeles Times