Americans ate almost a pound of seafood more per capita in 2015 than they did the year prior, with their favorite 10 species combining to make up more than 90 percent of the population’s total consumption.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s annual report on U.S. consumption, average per capita consumption of seafood increase to 15.5 pounds in 2015, up 0.9 pounds from the 14.6 average per capita consumption level in 2014.
Shrimp topped the list, with Americans on average eating four pounds of it per capita in 2015, the same total volume as a year before. Salmon was a distant second and tuna rounded out the top three, with American consumption per capita at 2.88 lbs. and 2.2 lbs., respectively.
Tilapia came in fourth on the list, followed by Alaska pollock and pangasius (1.38 lbs 0.97 lb. and 0.74 lbs. per capita, respectively).
Cod, at 0.6 lbs. was seventh. Crab moved up from ninth place on last year’s list to eighth on this year’s with its average annual consumption per capita increasing to 0.56 lbs. Catfish moved down to ninth on the list, posting a 0.52 lbs. consumption average. Clams rounded out the list with Americans eating an average of 0.33 lbs. of them in 2015.
Americans ate an average of 14.18 lbs. worth of the species on the top 10 list per capita, and another 1.32 lbs. of species not on the list.
Americans ate more salmon but less tuna in 2015. Other species that saw increases in consumption were pangasius and crab. Americans also ate less cod, pollock and catfish in 2015 compared to a year before.
“The fact that we see a variation in expansion and contraction across the top 10 species, coupled with overall growth, is actually very positive," NFI registered dietician Rima Kleiner said. “The nutrition community recommends that Americans eat a variety of seafood and this type of distribution reflects that message.”
NFI publishes list of America’s top 10 favorite seafood species
Americans ate almost a pound of seafood more per capita in 2015 than they did the year prior, with their favorite 10 species combining to make up more than 90 percent of the population’s total consumption.
Shrimp topped the list, with Americans on average eating four pounds of it per capita in 2015, the same total volume as a year before. Salmon was a distant second and tuna rounded out the top three, with American consumption per capita at 2.88 lbs. and 2.2 lbs., respectively.
Tilapia came in fourth on the list, followed by Alaska pollock and pangasius (1.38 lbs 0.97 lb. and 0.74 lbs. per capita, respectively).
Cod, at 0.6 lbs. was seventh. Crab moved up from ninth place on last year’s list to eighth on this year’s with its average annual consumption per capita increasing to 0.56 lbs. Catfish moved down to ninth on the list, posting a 0.52 lbs. consumption average. Clams rounded out the list with Americans eating an average of 0.33 lbs. of them in 2015.
Americans ate an average of 14.18 lbs. worth of the species on the top 10 list per capita, and another 1.32 lbs. of species not on the list.
Americans ate more salmon but less tuna in 2015. Other species that saw increases in consumption were pangasius and crab. Americans also ate less cod, pollock and catfish in 2015 compared to a year before.
“The fact that we see a variation in expansion and contraction across the top 10 species, coupled with overall growth, is actually very positive," NFI registered dietician Rima Kleiner said. “The nutrition community recommends that Americans eat a variety of seafood and this type of distribution reflects that message.”
