Consumers in the U.S. eat more than 10 billion bowls of soup every single year. Tomato soup is the second favorite, topped only by chicken noodle. However, it’s hard to argue that any other is more versatile than creamy tomato soup which can be enjoyed on its own or used in other recipes such as chili, casseroles, stews, Mexican dishes, Italian classics and more.

July is National Ice Cream Month, but consumers continue to indulge all year long. To say that ice cream is a trend is a bit of a misnomer – after all, it’s been popular for centuries. In fact, Dolley Madison served ice cream as the featured dessert at the 1813 inaugural ball.

Macaroni and cheese has maintained its position on America’s top ten comfort foods list for decades. Crayola even named one of its orange crayon colors after this perennial favorite! Millions of adults and children alike consume mac and cheese every year, yet many are looking for ways to indulge more responsibly, and are paying closer attention to labels — avoiding foods with artificial ingredients and high fat and calories.

The observance of June Dairy Month began in 1937 as a way to promote drinking milk. It’s expanded to celebrate all dairy products and their contributions to the world, and consumers continue to indulge.

The decadent, creaminess of Alfredo sauce has been a beloved Italian flavor profile of consumers for more than a century. Restaurants and food manufacturers continue to offer products to meet the demand.

Perhaps no other food product has been so highly revered throughout the ages as chocolate. Its popularity has only grown in recent years because of its purported health benefits. Cocoa, chocolate’s key ingredient, is high in antioxidants which can help lower stress, regulate blood pressure and potentially lower memory decline.

Remember the food pyramid? It used to be considered the ideal approach to nutrition and was considered the foundation of a healthy diet — a balance of fruits, vegetables, lean protein, grains and dairy. Today, many consumers are abandoning the one-size-fits-all guidelines in favor of a more customized approach.

Consumer demand for ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages in the U.S. has grown considerably in recent years and is expected to reach $6.7 billion by 2019. The convenience of on-the-go drinks that are easy to drink while commuting or at the office is driving demand as is the desire for added nutritional values. Approximately one-quarter of beverages in many sectors now have protein, including carbonated soft drinks, bottled water, sports drinks, meal replacement beverages and more.

The move toward clean eating is gaining momentum as consumers become better educated and more conscious about the impact of artificial additives and other “bad-for-you” ingredients on their health and overall wellness. Some have noticed their trips to the grocery store and restaurants are taking just a bit longer as they scrutinize labels on products and interrogate servers about the ingredients used to prepare food.

There was a time when butter was perceived as an “enemy” of the heart- and health-conscious. While dietary moderation remains key, the long-held belief has changed. Consumers now clamor for “natural” foods and fats, as evidenced by the average butter consumption per person having gone up a full pound since 2006. Their purchase decisions are driving a butter renaissance that has netted $2.8 billion in sales in 2016. Compare that against $1.4 billion in vegetable oil-based margarine sales over the same period, and butter’s popularity is anything but spread thin.