The Cost of Healthy Eating in Leeds, Grenville and Lanark 2006

Under the direction of Mandatory Health Programs and Services Guidelines, the annual costing of a Nutritious Food Basket was recently completed for ten grocery stores throughout Leeds, Grenville and Lanark counties. For the ninth consecutive year, staff of the Health Promotion Department, Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit, surveyed 10 stores during a two-week period from June 5-18, 2006.

The Nutritious Food Basket is used to evaluate the cost of healthy eating based on current nutrition recommendations. The basket contains 66 food items and was developed by the Ontario Ministry of Health. Food items contained in the basket support nutritional health and reflect the shopping behaviours of Canadians.

In selecting each food product, the lowest priced item of a specified size was recorded, regardless of brand. The cost of the Nutritious Food Basket is based on the average cost of each food item from all ten grocery stores surveyed.

Nutritious Food Basket data was used to calculate the cost of healthy eating for specific age and gender groups. The table below is a summary of the last six surveys and indicates the average weekly cost of food for a family of four and 23 age and gender groups.
 

The 2006 data indicate that the average weekly food cost of feeding a family of four is $126.48 per week ($547.66 per month). This is a 2.6% increase since 2005 (increase of $3.18 per week, $13.77 per month, and $165.24 per year).

Overall, since the survey was first completed in 1998, there has been an increase of almost 16%.

The intent is to use this information to raise awareness of the cost of healthy eating and support the advocacy efforts of agencies in Leeds, Grenville and Lanark to address food insecurity in our community.

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