WASHINGTON (USDA) — A new study released by the United States Department of Agriculture's Food Surveys Research Group found the total amount of pizza consumed by U.S. children and adults between 2007 and 2010.
Some 13% of Americans, or one in every eight people, over the age of two eat pizza on any given day. Older children from the ages 6-11 and adolescents from 12-19, eat the most pizza, with 22% consumed daily.
Adults age 60 and over consume the least amount of pizza, with only 6%, according to the study.
"Called the world's most popular food, pizza has experienced growth in sales at both big chain and independent restaurants," the study noted. "In addition, frozen/chilled pizza also reported growth."
Other findings include:
- Children from ages 2-19, are almost twice as likely to consume pizza than adults ages 20 years and over.
- Kids tend to eat pizza for lunch or dinner, while adults typically eat pizza only for dinner.
- Some 59% of Americans eat pizza at home.
- A higher percentage of males (15%) than females (11%) consume pizza on any given day.
- For adults, whites are more likely to consume pizza than blacks or Hispanics, and for children, there is no difference by race/ethnicity.
The study also stated that when consumed, pizza contributed about one-third of the daily intakes for sodium and calcium, saturated fat, fiber and more than half of the daily intake for lycopene. The pie holds a large intake of sodium with about 33% for children and 38% for adults on any given day.
