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Cheese now accounts for largest share of dairy cup-equivalents in U.S. diets

U.S. per capita loss-adjusted availability of dairy products, 1981 and 2021

Dairy products available for consumption after adjusting for losses totaled 1.5 cup-equivalents per person per day in 2021—half the recommended amount for a 2,000-calorie-per-day diet based on the 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. While overall quantity is slightly higher when comparing 2021 with 1981, the mix has changed. Loss-adjusted availability of fluid milk has fallen from 0.8 to 0.5 cup per person per day, whereas loss-adjusted cheese availability has doubled and yogurt availability has grown steadily.

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