This is old news but I came across this handy chart put together over at the NY Times that illustrates the comparison of US food consumption vs. the rest of the world. Along with highlighting the US dominance in the processed foods arena, there are several other interesting points of comparison.

I was surprised to see how much bakery goods make up the diet of Mexicans, mostly because I've never been a big fan of Mexican baked goods.(Deleon Foods being the exception.) Japan and France are the winners in the sauces/dressings category. China eats more vegetables per capita than the US, Spain and France combined. I'm assuming rice is the main reason for this. The chart makes a note that rice sold loose and un-packaged is in the fresh foods category. Both Brazil and China beat out the US in consumption of meat and seafood. Considering the availability of inexpensive fresh fruit in the U.S. I can't figure out why our consumption would fall behind most of the world. Maybe southern climates have a leg up on us with year round tropical fruit.

Click through to see a comparison of fresh and processed foods in pictures from the amazing book Hungry Planet. I usually use those pictures in my Powerpoint presentations when sharing about our experience of eating locally.

1. Germany – $500 a week for food

2. North Carolina, USA – $341.98 a week for food

3. Japan – $317.25 a week for food

4. Italy – $260 a week for food

5. Great Britain – $253 a week for food – I wonder if the dog on the table is part of the diet?!?

6. Kuwait – $221.45 a week for food

7. Mexico – $189.09 a week for food

8. California, USA – $160 a week for food

9. Beijing, China – $155.06 a week for food

10. Poland – $151 a week for food

11. Egypt – $68.53 a week for food

12. Mongolia – $40 a week for food

13. Ecuador – $31.55 a week for food

14. Bhutan – $5 a week for food

15. Breidjing Camp – $1.23 a week for food!!! {Sudanese refugees in Chad}

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