WDGPH Nutritious Food Basket holds steady at $212
The cost to eat healthily has remained steady in the region.
A recent Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health report states the cost for a reference family of a man and women (31 to 50 years old), a boy (14 to 18) and a girl (4 to 8) to eat healthily is about $212 a week. The cost was the same in 2016.
While the “nutritious food basket” (NFB) cost is unchanged this year, there has been a 27% increase in food costs since 2009.
The NFB measures the cost to eat healthily based on nutrition recommendations and food purchasing patterns.
“This report demonstrates that individuals and families with low incomes do not have enough money to pay for their basic needs, including shelter and healthy food,” states the public health report.
“Food insecurity is a serious public health concern because of its relationship with poor nutrition and negative physical and mental health effects among both adults and children.”
While community food programs are the primary way to address food insecurity, the report states that in order to come up with a long-term solution, a major shift needs to take place - specifically, the income of families needs to be improved.
