Skip to main content

When it Comes to Healthy Eating, More Americans are Choosing Chicken

While the pandemic has disrupted much of life as we know it, including our eating habits, one thing has stayed consistent throughout – Americans’ love for chicken! In fact, 75% of Americans say they eat chicken at least once per week.

Americans ate more chicken in 2020 than they did the year prior, consuming 97.6 lbs of chicken per capita (a jump from 96.5 lbs in 2019). U.S. chicken consumption is nearly twice that of beef and pork.

A recent survey from The National Chicken Council and WATT Global Media focused on anticipated U.S. consumer behavior post-pandemic. The key finding? People across the country are still choosing chicken. Chicken purchasers cite taste, value, nutrition and grilling as motivations for increasing and maintaining chicken in their diets in the months ahead.

Post-pandemic, 91% of those surveyed plan to continue eating fresh chicken at home; 30% say they will eat more chicken than pre-pandemic.

When it comes to post-pandemic eating, consumers are becoming more health-conscious about their dining habits. Nutrition was the top reason people anticipate eating more chicken: 42% of those planning to eat more or the same amount of chicken post-pandemic say, “it’s healthier than other protein.”

Chicken is not only easy to cook and affordable, it’s also a sustainable and accessible food source. Packed with health and nutritional benefits the whole family can enjoy, chicken is an excellent source of protein and contains vitamin B12 and choline, an essential nutrient that helps enhance brain function.

Looking for more tips and trends on all things chicken? Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram