Consumers’ Top Five Priorities

1. Value: Consumers are increasingly focused on getting the most from every food dollar, balancing budget considerations with quality, satisfaction and versatility.

2. Convenience: Easy-to-prepare meal solutions continue to play an important role in busy household routines.

3. Protein & Nutrition: Consumers continue to prioritize protein and seek foods that deliver both nutritional value and eating satisfaction.

4. Taste & Enjoyment: Flavor remains a leading driver of food choices, helping shape how consumers evaluate protein options.

5. Deliberate Spending: Households are becoming more intentional about how they shop, prepare and use food as they navigate higher costs.

Together, these priorities shape how consumers evaluate all protein options and help explain why beef continues to maintain a strong position despite higher prices and increasing competition from other protein sources. The National Cattlemen ' s Beef Association( NCBA), a contractor to the Beef Checkoff, continuously tracks trends, monitors issues and stays abreast of developments that have the potential to impact the beef industry to better understand Today ' s Beef Consumer.

Beef Demand Remains Resilient

The U. S. cattle herd is the smallest it has been in 75 years, creating ongoing supply challenges for the beef industry. Despite these constraints, USDA data project per-capita beef availability will remain relatively stable through 2027 at 59 lbs per person, as record beef imports and heavier cattle weights particularly offset the smaller herd. 1 Among major animal proteins, chicken remains the most available at more than 105 lbs per person annually, while beef availability continues to exceed both pork( about 50 lbs per person) and turkey( about 14 lbs).¹

The competitive protein landscape makes beef’ s recent performance particularly noteworthy. In the latest 52-week period, beef delivered the strongest retail sales growth among the major proteins. Dollar sales increased 9.7 % to $ 47.1 billion, outpacing chicken, turkey and pork, while volume also grew 2.1 %. 2 Notably, growth occurred in both dollars and pounds sold, indicating that consumer demand remained resilient despite higher beef prices. Growth was observed across the category, with both ground beef and brisket sales each rising more than 13 %, while value-added beef products posted gains in both sales and volume. 2

Consumer research reinforces the strength of beef demand. According to NCBA’ s

DIRECTIONS 2026

Consumer Beef Tracker, 74 % of consumers report eating beef at least weekly, up five percentage points since 2021. 3 In part, Millennials and Gen Z protein preferences are driving the overall increase in weekly or more beef consumption. 3 Beef is also one of the most frequently consumed proteins, second only to chicken( 86 %). 3 Looking ahead, more than 80 % of consumers say they plan to maintain or increase their beef consumption. 3 Among those who expect to eat more beef, taste is the leading motivation, while price sensitivity is the primary reason consumers may eat less beef. 3 These findings highlight both the strength of beef’ s consumer appeal and the importance of value in today’ s marketplace.

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