Ah, food. It is so much more than just something we need to consume to survive. Sure, it’s that too. But food provides comfort, food can contain love, and some food items we could simply eat over and over again for the rest of our lives.
Not really, we need plenty of food groups to maintain our health, but, hey, we can dream of neverending mac and cheese, or chocolate cake, or chips, or whatever you prefer. But have you ever wondered what food is most commonly consumed across the world?
After all, it’s pretty interesting to think about the top ten most commonly eaten foods considering there are apparently 7,500 different food products in just the United States alone!
Take every other country into consideration too, and that’s a whole lot of food products. So, what makes the cut? Which ten food items are officially ranked as the most eaten across the globe? Find out in this article.
1. Rice
It may not come as that much of a surprise to learn that rice takes the top spot in this list, after all, it is one of the most common food items across the whole of Asia. And Asia is the world’s largest continent.
And the population of this continent consumes, on average, around 300 pounds of rice each and every year. Now that’s a whole lot of rice. It definitely helps that rice is a particularly easy crop to grow which then aids to make it more readily available to the masses.
And fun fact, rice is actually grown on every continent other than Antarctica. It is also estimated that a whopping 3.5 billion people consume the stuff across the globe. So, essentially half of the world is munching down on rice, making it a pretty popular food item.
2. Eggs
How do you like your eggs in the morning? Sunny-side-up? Scrambled? Poached? Hard-boiled? With so many ways to prepare eggs, no wonder it scores second place on the most commonly eaten food across the globe.
And let’s face it, have you ever been somewhere where you couldn’t get eggs? No, us neither. The sheer production size of eggs is so vast that actually calculating the exact number is undoubtedly impossible.
As a general rule of thumb, though, it is believed that the number could be somewhere around the million metric tonnes or trillion-eggs mark. Counting all those eggs would not be a fun job.
3. Chicken
Taking the third spot, we have the world’s most commonly consumed meat chicken. It’s likely that this white meat is so popular, not for its taste though it is delicious, but because it is a much easier and cheaper option than other meats on the market.
It also helps that chicken is a much healthier option than many other varieties of meat, especially in comparison to red meat. Not only this, but it is an excellent source of that much-needed protein.
Chicken is also incredibly adaptable and can create many different meals from curries to soups to enchiladas, and more, there’s no end to the variety of meals you can create with this versatile meat.
4. Pasta
Pasta is a hearty delicious dish that everyone can enjoy. And that statement is evident since an Oxfam global survey found that pasta was voted the world’s most popular dish.
Originating from Italy, this quick and easy meal seems to have won the hearts of many across the globe. And it’s not hard to see why. This versatile and filling meal, contrary to popular belief, has actually been around for a really long time.
And we’re talking traced-back-to-5000-B.C really long time. So, there’s been ample opportunity for individuals to discover their love for the stuff.
So, keep in mind the next time you opt for a creamy carbonara or a scrumptious spaghetti bolognese that you’re chowing down on the 4th most commonly consumed food across the planet, pretty cool really!
5. Bread
Did you know that the English adore a good sandwich? In fact, they eat them so often that around 12 billion of them are eaten each year. That’s a whopping 389 sandwiches a second.
So, knowing this fact, it probably comes as no surprise that bread, the main sandwich component, has made its way onto the top ten most commonly eaten food list.
And it’s not only the United Kingdom that seems to hold bread close to their hearts, Germany is the largest consumer of bread worldwide and has 1300 different ways to prepare the stuff.
Can you imagine how many slices of bread they’re getting through if they beat the UK in terms of consumption?
6. Potatoes
If you’re looking for a single food item that can be transformed into an abundance of other things, then potatoes should be your go-to option. There’s mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, boiled potatoes, fries, chips, and the list just goes on, and on, and on.
And according to the USDA Economic Research Service survey, it is actually the most commonly produced and consumed vegetable across the globe. We all love those tasty ‘tatoes.
With their extensive self-life, a multitude of preparation methods, and an expansive range of varieties (estimated to be over 4000) no wonder over a billion of Earth’s inhabitants enjoy tucking into them.
7. Pizza
Let’s face it…who doesn’t love pizza? Italians must know a thing or two about producing delectable dishes considering their two most renowned meals have been featured on this list.
And, another fun fact for you, it is believed that 13% of all Americans eat pizza daily and on average a whopping 350 slices of the stuff are guzzled down in the States each and every second.
And since pizza is beloved by adults and children alike, it probably makes a lot of sense that it has made its way onto this list. But now for the controversial question – should pineapple go on pizza? We’re team yes! How about you?
8. Apples
You know what they say, an apple a day keeps the doctor away. And it seems we’ve heard this advice since apples have made their way to the top ten most commonly consumed food list.
But when you learn that apples are actually one of the Earth’s oldest cultivated fruits, it makes a lot more sense that you’ll find it on the number 8 spot. There are also plenty of apple varieties to choose from – 7500 to be exact.
Apples are a common snack choice too, due to their many healthy and nutritious advantages. That doctor’s saying doesn’t come from nowhere.
Apples can help to lower the risk of several health conditions including heart disease and cancer. Not only this but they also aid weight loss, as well as gut and brain health.
9. Soup
It works wonders for colds, warms the cockles of your soul on a cold winter’s night, and is a great way to incorporate some of your five-a-day into a meal, so it makes sense that soup is one of the most consumed foods across the globe.
It’s also incredibly tasty, quick and convenient, and comes in many forms and flavors. From broths to stews, to goulash to canned, there’s no end to the forms.
And then don’t even get us started on the flavors, mushroom, chicken, leek, beef, parsnip, you name it, you can probably find it in soup form.
And Americans apparently eat as much as 10 billion bowls of the stuff each and every year. The favorite variety being none other than chicken noodle…yum.
10. Ice Cream
Ice cream is a dessert that adults and children alike can’t help but love. And there’s nothing better than a cooling ice cream cone on a hot summer’s day, right?
And with so many different flavors to choose from, you’ll always be able to find some form of ice cream that suits your tastes. Be it chocolate chip, cookie dough, hot fudge, or good old vanilla.
And it’s actually estimated that the planet consumes over 15 billion liters of the creamy and delicious dessert each and every year. Now, that’s a lot of ice cream.
It’s also believed that 98% of all American freezers contain some form of ice cream at all times. No wonder it’s made its way onto this list.
World Famous Food By Country
Okay, so now that we know about what the planet eats the most, let’s take a look at what are some of the individual countries’ most renowned dishes!
- USA – Cheeseburger
- UK – Fish & Chips
- Thailand – Tom Yum Kung
- Mexico – Tacos
- India – Curry
- Italy – Pizza
- Greece – Greek Salad
- Germany – Pretzels/Sausage
- Japan – Sushi
- China – Dumplings
- Spain – Jamon/Paella
- Russia – Pancakes
- France – Croissant
- Indonesia – Nasi Goreng
Final Thoughts
And there you have it. You now know the most commonly consumed food items across the world – along with a ton of fun facts about just how much is consumed too. We’re there any items on this list that surprised you?
Or any that you thought should have made the list but didn’t? We were pretty surprised not to see chocolate make an appearance! If there’s anything on this list that you haven’t tried yet, we definitely recommend giving it a go.
Our beautiful world blesses us with so many varying cuisines and cultures and exploring them all in a respectful manner is something that everyone should indulge in.
Oh, and one last parting fun fact for you – out of all the globalized cuisines across the globe it is none other than Chinese food that takes the top spot.
And we can definitely see the appeal, after all, it is one of the most delicious takeout options available – we’ll take some sweet and sour chicken and some egg-fried rice to go, please!
Frequently Asked Questions
America’s most consumed food item is actually listed entry #6. Yep, potatoes. According to YouGov’s market research, there was a pretty close tie between two varieties of the food; fries and mashed potatoes. Both earned a respectable 84% score.
But regardless of whether you’re team smooth and creamy or team crunchy and crispy, the thing that remains apparent is that the United States adores a tasty potato.
Rice ranked #1 on the most commonly consumed foods list. It is believed that over half of the world’s population consumes rice as a staple dish and is one of the most common food items across the biggest continent Asia, along with Latin America and areas of South Africa too.
Water is actually the most popular beverage drunk across the world. Which considering we need water to survive is probably not all that surprising. However, over 97% of the water on Earth is not actually drinkable!
Coming in second after water, tea is the most widely consumed drink across the world. And in fact, it is estimated that a whopping three billion cups of tea are consumed each and every day.
And despite what you might actually think, it is not the United Kingdom that comes in as the country’s top tea drinkers – it is actually Turkey with the UK coming second, and then Iran followed by Russia and then Morocco.
