Rising food prices forcing many Canadians to buy unhealthy options: survey

As food prices continue to rise, many Canadians are being forced into buying unhealthy options in order to save a few bucks, according to a survey from the Angus Reid Institute.

Half of Canadians with a household income of less than $50,000 per year say they’ve had to choose unhealthy food to cut costs, while 47% of those ages 18 to 34 say the same. Two-fifths of Canadians overall are buying less healthy food to scrape by.

Beyond that, more than 70% have switched to cheaper brands to offset rising food prices, and 61% have cut back on meat.

Angus Reid Institute

Rising food prices are largely attributable to the low Canadian dollar and fruit and vegetable prices have risen especially high, with B.C. alone seeing a year-over-year increase of more than 26%, according to Statistics Canada. In fact, more than 80% of fruits, vegetables, and nuts sold in Canada have been affected by Canada’s weak dollar.

As a result, the cost of dining out is prohibitive to some Canadians whose wallets are feeling the burden of high grocery bills. More than 70% have cut back on eating out, while 67% spend less on entertainment.

Angus Reid Institute

Unsurprisingly, many Canadians feel the government is giving enough attention to the issue, especially if they’re having trouble feeding their families. Nearly 80% of Canadians in difficult-to-feed households say the issues deserves more attention from higher ups.

Angus Reid Institute