FAQs
1970s. The 1970s marked the start of a reduction in our intake of vegetables. The average person ate a pound of red meat each week, compared to just over half of that today. Fruit juice arrived in the shops but only one in ten people consumed it regularly.
What was the health food craze in the 1970s? ›
One of the most iconic fad diets from the 1970s was the Grapefruit Diet. This diet claimed that consuming grapefruit or grapefruit juice with every meal would lead to rapid weight loss. The theory behind this diet was that grapefruit contains enzymes that help burn fat.
What foods were popular in 1977? ›
What Food People Were Obsessed With the Year You Were Born
- 1971: Eggs Benedict. Getty. ...
- 1972: Tequila Sunrise. Getty. ...
- 1973: Fondue. Getty. ...
- 1974: Granola. Getty. ...
- 1975: Pasta Primavera. Getty. ...
- 1976: General Tso's Chicken. Getty. ...
- 1977: Buffalo Wings. Getty. ...
- 1978: Croissants. Getty.
How big was the dinner plate in 1970? ›
In the 1970s, an average dinner plate measured 22cm (8½in) in diameter – now it's more like 28cm (11in).
What was the cottage cheese diet in the 1970s? ›
How it started: Cottage cheese was the top diet food fad of the 1950s, peaking in the '70s. On the day of Richard Nixon's resignation in 1974, he ate pineapple and cottage cheese before leaving office. Back then, the average American ate five pounds of cottage cheese annually.
What was the meat substitute in the 1970s? ›
As of April 1973, the lab had identified three likely sources for making plant-based, meatless protein: canola (then known in Canada as rapeseed), sunflower seeds, and soybeans. "It is quite possible now to produce meat substitutes which smell and taste exactly like meat," De Man added.
What was 70s hippie food? ›
The cuisine that the counterculture took to in the late 1960s, and then helped introduce to the mainstream in the 1970s, embraced whole grains and legumes; organic, fresh vegetables; soy foods like tofu and tempeh; nutrition-boosters like wheat germ and sprouted grains; and flavors from Eastern European, Asian, and ...
Why was jello so popular in the 1970s? ›
Soldiers came back from the war with a newly acquired taste for their products, and women were integrating the workplace in droves. Cheap and quick to prepare, products offered by companies like Heinz, Jell-O and Hi-Liner were perfectly adapted to this new reality.
What food was invented in the 1970s? ›
The heavenly Seventies
When Generation X were children, the Egg McMuffin came out, cheese fondue was fashionable, Watergate salad became a family favourite and Blue Nun was the drink of choice. Take a trip down memory lane with these surreal meals from the Seventies.
Was there fast food in the 1970s? ›
1970s fast food may not have been as "sophisticated" as the restaurants we have today, but boy was it fun! From Fun Meals to fast Mexican to pizza, you could…
Popularly known as the “Basic Four,” the guide recommended a minimum number of foods from each of four food groups—milk, meat, fruits and vegetables, and grain prod- ucts (Page and Phipard, 1956). This food guide, with its focus on getting enough nutrients, was widely used for the next two decades.
What food was invented in 1972? ›
1972: McDonald's Egg McMuffin.
What food came out in 1974? ›
Throwback Thursday: 5 Fun Food Ads From 1974
- Kraft Singles. Is there anything more classically American than a grilled cheese sandwich? ...
- Ragu Spaghetti Sauce. There are some timeless staples, and spaghetti sauce is no exception. ...
- Kraft Squeez-A-Snak Cheese. ...
- Kraft Real Mayonnaise. ...
- Kraft Grated Parmesan Cheese.
What fast food was popular in the 1970s? ›
There was a time when Burger Chef was the second most popular fast-food chain in America, with only McDonald's boasting more locations throughout the United States. And children of the '70s will remember that time well.
What was the weight loss program in the 1970s? ›
The Scarsdale diet was popular in the late 1970s. Based on a top-selling book by Dr. Herman Tarnower — a cardiologist located in Scarsdale, NY — the diet promised up to 20 pounds (9 kg) of weight loss in under 2 weeks.
What was the calorie intake in 1970? ›
Adding up the 2008 numbers shows a total intake of 2678 calories per person per day up from 2169 in 1970.
Did people eat less in the 1970s? ›
According to statistics published in the Journal of Nutrition, an American journal of public health, our average consumption of many foods, whether at fast food chains, restaurants or supermarkets, has increased 138 percent since the 1970s.
How has the overall American diet changed since 1970? ›
Americans have gone from eat- ing an estimated 2,075 calories a day in 1970 to scarfing down 2,535 calories in 2010. (From 2000 to 2007 we were as high as 2,600 calo- ries a day.) Most of the increase has come from eating more flour, more cheese, and more fats, with an extra shot of sugar thrown in.