It costs a local family of four $210 per week to eat healthy food, according to a new public health survey.
Each year Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health completes a “Nutritious Food Basket” survey (NFB) that monitors the affordability of healthy food in the region.
In May 2015, the weekly cost for a family of four – including a man and woman aged 31 to 50, a boy aged 14 to 18 and a girl aged four to eight – to eat nutritious food is approximately $210.
To eat according to the NFB, a family with a median Ontario income uses 13 per cent of its earned wages to eat healthy food and 17% goes to housing.
However, for a family on Ontario Works, it takes 41% of its income to eat nutritious food and 54% goes to housing, according to the report.
A single person on Ontario Works would need 41% of their income for the NFB, but on average 92% of that income is going to housing, meaning they would need a 33% increase in income to buy healthy food.
“So of course they can’t do that, because they don’t even have that extra third of their income,” said Lisa Needham, a public health nutritionist.
“So that was one of the real priority groups that I saw ‘wow that single on social assistance is in a really bad situation.’”
She also pointed out that when people see the cost of food is up 25% since 2008, they automatically think the answer is reducing food costs.
“There’s just increased costs of living in general around a lot of expenses right now, but when we look at income scenarios those with adequate incomes are able to easily afford the nutritious food basket,” she said.
“They would only be required to spend about 13% at a minimum to … eat healthy which is very affordable in comparison to other countries around the world.”
For Jennifer McCorriston, public health manager of chronic disease, injury prevention and substance misuse, it’s important to look at different scenarios based on income.
“If we talk about trying to get more people in the community to eat healthy and to eat fruits and vegetables and eat according to the food guide, it’s actually impossible for a family living on Ontario Works because they simply do not have the money to do so,” said McCorriston.
“So we sort of use it to encourage other groups in the community to advocate, to try to increase the cost of the basic allowance.”
Public health went to seven grocery stores across Wellington, Dufferin and Guelph, to assess the cost of the lowest-priced, healthy food items based on Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide.
“Most of the fruits and vegetables are fresh … but they are your cheaper fruits and vegetables, so it is things like onions, carrots, potatoes … (as) opposed to things like avocados and kiwi and some of the ones that might be a little bit more expensive,” Needham said. “But there are some cans and there are some frozen as well.”
The challenge for those who can’t afford to buy the NFB is finding healthy food elsewhere.
“For those that can’t afford access to healthy food we have many emergency food services within our community,” Needham said.
Since 2008 there has been an 82% increase in food bank use in Wellington County, with 745 individuals using the service in March 2014.
“Unfortunately there are a lot of problems with getting good healthy food into the emergency food system and that is one of the barriers for those that can’t afford access,” she explained.
“They’re getting food but it’s not necessarily of good nutritious quality and it doesn’t tend to be the freshest of food because logistically it’s very difficult for emergency food providers to have the supports in place to offer a lot of fresh foods.”
Lack of nutritious food is a concern for adults and children. It can impact growth and development and increase the risk of lifestyle-related chronic diseases, Needham explained.
Poor nutrition also makes it difficult for people to be productive, whether that’s at work or in school, and it can have impacts on mental health, including depression, substance misuse, and post traumatic stress to name a few.
Other negative impacts of not having access or income for adequate food include families not being able to invite friends and family over for meals or to enjoy a meal at a restaurant.
At the Nov. 4 public health meeting, the board approved all the report’s recommendations (share the survey results, forward it to agencies supporting those who are “food insecure,” send a letter to the provincial government asking for increases to social assistance, support life-skills educators and support collaborative partnerships with other community groups advocating for income security).
“[The emergency food system] will never pull individuals out of the situation because when it comes down to it, the root issue is about inadequate incomes,” Needham said.
“And I think in a country as rich as Canada we should be able to have enough money to support everyone in affording, at the very minimum, their basic needs – including healthy food.”
