Almost half of us say it has become more difficult to afford to put food on the table in the last year.
Four in ten people also say adhering to the diet recommended in the recently updated Canada Food Guide would make paying their household's food bill even more challenging.
Those are a few of the findings of a new study from the Angus Reid Institute.
But those in lower-income brackets are more likely to see the consequences of rising food prices.
Respondents with household incomes under $50,000 are considerably more likely to have chosen less healthy, cheaper options, or to have cut back on meat and vegetables to deal with the affordability issue.
Therefore, over half of those in the lower-income brackets say it would be challenging for them to afford a diet based on the new food guide.
Here are some other key findings from the study:
- Those who say they struggle to feed their households are twice as likely to say the Food Guide diet would be somewhat difficult (40% to 20%), and five times as likely (24% to 5%) to say it would be very difficult to afford, compared to those who say it is easy to feed their household
- Canadians are divided about diets. Half (48%) say it is easy to eat healthy if they try, while half (48%) say that even if they try, this is not easy to accomplish
- Further, six-in-ten Canadians (61%) say they have a hard time keeping track of what is healthy with changing diet trends. This response is most common among those ages 55 and older (68%)
Announced in January, the new food guide places greater emphasis on plant-based foods and less on meat as a source of protein.
- KitchenerToday.com/Rogers Media