(MONEY Magazine) – Beef is back -- big and juicy. Since 1976, when annual consumption averaged a stomach-satisfying 88.8 pounds per person, sales of beef have dwindled as cholesterol counts and grazing "lite" increased. But the health trend is starting to abate. "Americans are tired of being dictated to by the food police," says Michael Batterberry, founding editor of Food Arts magazine. "They've decided they can eat whatever they want in moderation." Last year, restaurant goers ordered 3% more burgers than in 1992, and this year, consumption of beef at home and in restaurants is expected to rise 2.4% to - 63.4 pounds per person. Smart marketers have also made beef-eating a bargain. Last year, burger wars drove prices as low as 39 cents in some cities, say sources at Burger King and McDonald's. And at the Outback Steakhouse chain, where business has grown by 922% over the past three years, diners pay $10.95 for a 12-ounce center-cut sirloin steak dinner that includes salad and baked potato. Ready to indulge? Shop for cuts labeled prime, which are from the most tender part of the cow. Or try established mail-order houses, like Omaha Steaks International (800-228-9055), that offer superior corn-fed beef unavailable at local butchers -- but you may pay double for the taste.