RELATED: How Eating Grilled Cheese Sandwiches Affects Your Sex Life
Photograph by Elizabeth Natoli
So, what’s going to happen to all that cheese? Well, theoretically, a lot of it could be eaten. (See our guide to the healthiest cheeses above!) After all, today’s level of per capita cheese consumption in the U.S. is 64 percent higher than it was 40 years ago, with Americans eating an average of 36 pounds each of the yellow stuff per year. But to clear the stockpile, every person would have to eat an extra three pounds this year. Being that this isn’t France (where people eat an average 57 pounds of cheese per year), we’re thinking that’s a long shot.
Sign up for Women’s Health’s new newsletter, So This Happened, to get the day’s trending stories and health studies.
The federal government could step in, promoting cheese consumption by developing dairy-based menu items for fast-food chains and school-lunch programs, which they’ve done in the past. But we’ll have to wait and see how that plays out. (Though if McDonald’s suddenly launches a new bacon grilled cheese, we’ll have one eyebrow raised.)
The good news is, in light of the old rules of supply and demand, cheese prices are falling. So go treat yo’self to a nice, creamy brie. With some cheddar on the side.