This book presents an overview of Americans' eating habits in the present and the early 1900's. Chapter One discusses factors contributing to the nation's dramatic, almost unprecedented dietary changes and provides a brief discussion of food consumption statistics. Chapter Two compares present and past U.S. consumption of alcoholic beverages, beans, peas and nuts, candy, coffee, tea and cocoa, eggs, fats and oils, fish and shellfish, flour and cereal products, food colorings, frozen foods, fruit, ice cream, ice milk and other frozen dairy products, meat, melons, milk and cheese, potatoes, poultry, soft drinks, sweeteners, and vegetables. Chapter Three explores nutritional implications of the changed American diet. Calories, fat, carbohydrate, protein, and seven vitamins and four minerals are discussed. A table of approximate daily food consumption, a list of fast food facts and figures and The Changing American Diet Quiz are appended. This book is published by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a non-profit group dedicated to helping solve some of the nation's serious nutrition problems. (Author/RH)