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Rising food prices making it harder for people in the region to make healthy choices: SMDHU

March 23, 2023   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

With the cost of food rising but pay cheques staying the same, many people find it more difficult to put food on the table.

While the cost of food may hit your bottom line and leave you with less money at the end of the month, the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit reports that the result of not eating properly can lead to long term or lifelong negative health effects.

Currently, some individuals and families are being forced to cut their food budget to afford other essentials like rent, utilities, transportation, clothing, medical expenses and child care.

The cost of not eating properly impacts the entire community’s health and adds more pressure to the already over-burdened health care system.

Every year, dietitians and public health nurses conduct a survey to determine how much it costs to purchase a basic healthy diet. 

The number is based on the average lowest cost of 61 food items listed in Canada’s Food Guide and found in select grocery stores across Simcoe and Muskoka.

The survey found the monthly cost for a family of four is $1,159.92. For a single person, the cost is $419.00.

For a typical family of four, there is around $1,350 left to pay for other basic needs after paying for groceries. That number becomes considerably lower for single people, single parents with children, retired people, and those living on disability support.

The results of the survey continue to show that many individuals and families living with a lower income are struggling to pay their monthly bills and eat a healthy diet at the same time.

When healthy food becomes unaffordable, and people have difficulty making their monthly bills, they are often forced to cut their monthly food budget to pay for something else.

This has the negative effect of people worrying about running out of food, eating food that is lower in nutritional value, eating less food than they need, missing meals altogether, and going without eating so their children can be fed.

The effects for children living in a food-insecure household can be poorer physical and mental health, with youth developing an increased risk of depression, social anxiety and suicide.

For adults, the risks include poorer physical and mental health, including higher rates of depression, diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Adults are also more likely to delay, reduce, or skip prescription medication due to the cost.

While food banks and community food programs are essential to bridge the gap for people who need food immediately, they are not designed to solve household food insecurity.

Advocacy groups are putting pressure on the provincial and federal governments to improve income and employment practices that reduce household food insecurity.

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