Where does the protein come from?

Global average protein intake per person has increased from 61 gram per day to 81 gram per day since 1961. Cereals keep their position as leading supply of protein, even though their share has decreased. The protein intake from meat, fish and vegetables has doubled. Milk gives us a tenth of the protein and eggs three percent.  Because total intake has increased most foodstuffs provide us with more proteins today than 1961, but consumption of the protein rich pulses has decreased, the same goes for the root crops, cassava and potatoes. Most of the change follows the expected pattern when disposable income increase. The exception is milk, which is a result of that most people and most of the increase of protein intake are in parts of the world where milk has no strong tradition and many people are intolerant to milk.  

 

World
g/capita/day	1961		2013
Cereals - Excluding Beer	27.83	45%	31.8	39%
Meat	7.97	13%	14.54	18%
Milk - Excluding Butter	6.77	11%	8.22	10%
Vegetables	2.28	4%	4.91	6%
Fish	2.68	4%	5.22	6%
Pulses	5.55	9%	4.23	5%
Oilcrops (inc soybean)	1.99	3%	2.87	4%
Starchy Roots	2.59	4%	2.27	3%
Eggs	1.38	2%	2.79	3%
Fruits - Excluding Wine	0.58	1%	1.13	1%
Stimulants	0.36	1%	0.54	1%
Treenuts	0.14	0%	0.43	1%
Offals	0.75	1%	1.1	1%
Alcoholic Beverages	0.2	0%	0.37	0%
Miscellaneous	0.01	0%	0.08	0%
Spices	0.17	0%	0.39	0%
Sugar & Sweeteners	0.09	0%	0.04	0%
Sugar Crops	0.01	0%	0.02	0%
Vegetable Oils	0.02	0%	0.03	0%
Animal fats	0.09	0%	0.08	0%
Aquatic Products	0.01	0%	0.17	0%
Total	61.47		81.23
FAOstat 2017,
Gunnar Rundgren