How has the average daily diet changed as countries have become more affluent?

As countries become more affluent, their populations typically experience shifts in dietary patterns, moving away from a reliance on staple crops toward a higher consumption of animal-based foods.

In poorer, agricultural societies, the daily diet is primarily composed of cereals such as wheat, rice, or corn, with animal products contributing less than 10 percent of total energy intake. Conversely, individuals in more affluent nations generally consume significantly more meat and other animal products.1

These dietary changes are often linked to broader societal shifts, including industrialization and globalization, which have expanded the availability of diverse food sources beyond locally produced items. Historically, rising standards of living and improved nutrition have also been associated with the epidemiologic transition, a process where patterns of disease and mortality evolve from those characterized by famine and infectious disease to those dominated by degenerative, human-made conditions.12

Are you interested in how these dietary shifts impact specific health outcomes or the role of global food distribution?