Survey finds high food prices have Canadians changing what they buy, and how much

The rising cost of food has people looking for cheaper options at the grocery store, and cutting back on some items, according to a new national survey.

Online polls conducted by Angus Reid in January and February found overall, 43 per cent are finding it difficult to afford to feed their household right now.

Sixty-two per cent of respondents said they’re eating out less, 46 per cent are buying cheaper brands, 35 per cent said they’re cutting back on meat, and 21 per cent are buying less fresh produce.

Angus Reid Institute president Shachi Kurl said people are noticing the increase regardless of income, but some are reporting making more changes to their buying habits as a result.

“If you’re lower income, or if you have kids under the age of 13 at home, rising food prices isn’t just something that’s causing sticker shock when you look at your receipt,” she said. “It’s actually something you’re having to make really difficult decisions around when it comes to not just keeping bellies full, but also in terms of the kinds of food you’re buying, and in many cases it’s less nutritious stuff.”

The price increases are also posing a challenge for charities helping others put food on their plates.

General manager of Maple Ridge’s Friends in Need Food Bank Evan Seal said they have also noticed a change.

“We have seen about a 10 to 15 per cent increase in costs in our dairy and our eggs and milk,” he said. “It’s across the board. We’ve seen increases in cost for everything.”

The food bank also supplies school meal and snack programs that help feed over 3,500 students a week. Program coordinator Karen Osborne said she’s also noticed costs have gone up quite a bit this year.

“We have to budget a little more carefully, I think, for what we normally do supply the schools, because that cost has gone up,” she said, and added supply chain issues have also been a factor. “Sometimes the substitutions are more costly.”

At the same time, the food bank says demand is on the rise, after numbers initially fluctuated during the pandemic.

“We’re starting to see those numbers start to trend upwards again,” Seal said. “Every month there’s 15 to 20 new registrations.”

Osborne said every year, there are also more students needing help with food through the school programs.

“There’s a bit more shopping to do around, to work within our budget,” she said. “That hasnt changed all that much, but the prices have, so it’s challenging.”

Angus Reid conducted its first online survey from Jan. 7 to 12, with 5,002 participants, and a margin of error +/- 2.0 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. A second online survey was conducted from Feb. 11 to 13, involving 1,622 participants, and a margin of error of +/- 2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.