While the majority of Americans (54%) have maintained their bread consumption habits over the past year, the popularity of low-carbohydrate diets has taken its toll on the industry. Some 40% of respondents to research conducted by the National Bread Leadership Council (NBLC—Providence, R.I.) report they are consuming less bread than a year ago.
Of those who have dropped bread from their diets, nearly two thirds say they are trying to limit their daily intake of carbohydrates. If the responses are any indication, however, limiting carbs may not be the whole story. Some 31% simply choose foods other than bread when consuming carbohydrates, while 12% do not like bread as much.