Oatmeal forever, and pass the beef

Although family members often breakfast in a rush, more people are taking time to enjoy a bowl of old-fashioned oatmeal. Americans ate more than 190 million pounds of oatmeal in 1999. That's up 16 percent over the past five years.

Consumers are also buying more beef, spending $48.6 billion on it last year, which is a $2 billion increase over 1998's consumption. People aren't just eating more beef at home; dining at steakhouses has increased 73 percent since 1994.

Also new on the food front are self-service checkout aisles, which end consumers' least-favorite part of shopping - standing in line.

Source: Grocery Manufacturers of America

(c) Copyright 1999. The Christian Science Publishing Society