Transformation of consumption of basic food groups in Russia in the post-Soviet period

The aim of the research is to analyze the dynamics of consumption of the most important food groups by the Russian population in the post-Soviet period. The article uses both official statistics data reflecting the volume of consumption of the main types of food products for the analyzed years and the results of a sociological survey of one of the regions of the Northwestern Federal District – the Vologda Region, which allows identifying key nutrition practices. We established that during the period from the mid-1990s to our time, despite significant transformations in the political, social and economic spheres, there are no significant changes in the caloric content of the diet of the country's residents, while the nutritional value of consumed products, primarily expressed in the protein content, shows a noticeable increase. This indicates that in the difficult economic conditions of the 1990s, the desire to maintain a proper level of energy value of the diet was accompanied by a violation of its structure in favor of the consumption of foods with a high content of carbohydrates. Further and more detailed analysis of consumption revealed positive changes in the situation in the country, associated with an increase in the consumption of meat and fish products, as well as fruits and vegetables, and a decrease in sugar consumption. At the same time, the level of consumption of the most important foodstuffs still lags behind the norms recommended by the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation. This does not allow assessing the structure of food consumption in Russia as balanced, and requires additional attention to these issues on the part of authorities at all levels. The practical significance of the obtained results consists in the identification of important changes in the consumption structure of Russian residents in the aspect of regional peculiarities and differences, which is of applied value and can be used in improving regional policy in a number of areas, including food security and protection of public health.