Not all food has gone up in price — here’s how to shop smarter and save while still eating well

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This article was published 29/05/2022 (895 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Temilade Fashesin has spreadsheets filled with food prices.

For the last four years, the entrepreneur from Etobicoke has recorded her grocery bills — noting the price of individual products at specific stores, along with fluctuation in cost over time. In the past year, the price of food has increased at rates she has never witnessed.

“When I told my friends that I have all the prices of all the things that I buy at each grocery store, they sometimes think that I’m crazy. But I’m seeing that almost everything is ridiculously more expensive,” Fashesin says.

And the most significant price hikes she notice are at so-called discount grocery chains.

“It doesn’t feel good going into a grocery store and seeing prices go up each time.”

Last year, Fashesin and her husband paid about $400 a month for groceries. Now, they are spending $600 a month.

On average, Canadians paid 9.7 per cent more on groceries in April 2022 compared to the same time last year — the largest year-over-year increase in food prices since September 1981, according to Statistics Canada’s Consumer Price Index. It’s the fifth month in a row that year-over-year increases have exceeded five per cent.

But price increases have not been uniform across all food items. Lettuce skyrocketed by 28 per cent year-over-year; pasta products increased by 19.6 per cent; and fresh or frozen meat are up 12.9 per cent.

Other products, however, experienced more moderate gains. Fresh and dried vegetables increased five per cent; eggs are up 7.2 per cent; and dairy products are eight per cent more expensive than last year.

There are a variety of reasons why some products have gone up in price more than others, says Sylvain Charlebois, a professor in food distribution and policy at Dalhousie University and the senior director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab.

The price of packaged goods and non-perishable items is largely influenced by transportation and packaging costs, he says.

Produce and perishable items typically found on the periphery of grocery stores are more dependent on growing conditions and how the Canadian dollar is performing, Charlebois says, adding that as the Canadian dollar drops, it costs more to import the food.

“There’s also a lot of ‘shrink-inflation’ going on at the centre of the store with packaged goods, which are shrinking in size while prices are remaining the same,” he says. “That may actually frustrate consumers.”

The only item tracked by Statistics Canada that decreased in price over the past year is potatoes, which cost 6.1 per cent less in April 2022 compared to the previous year. “It’s a very well co-ordinated industry on both the service and retail side, which allows everyone to work together to stabilize things as much as possible from farm to fork,” explains Charlebois.

Abbey Sharp, a registered dietitian, food writer and blogger based in Toronto, says there are several ways Canadian families can save on their next grocery bill.

“I’m a big proponent of frozen fruits and vegetables (as a substitute for fresh products). It’s flash-frozen at the peak of ripeness and nutritional perfection. It’s sometimes more nutrient-dense than fresh produce, especially those that are imported and have travelled long distances,” she says. “It’s a really great, cost-effective substitute.”

Local produce and fruits and vegetables in season are typically cheaper than imported products, she says.

Tofu, beans, lentils, feta, and whole grains are good alternatives for dairy, meat and seafood, “which are seeing some of the biggest price hikes this year,” Sharp says.

“Those are all really nutritious, cost-effective alternatives to things like poultry, meat and fish. They’re also higher in fibre and lower in saturated fats.”

However, Canadians looking for a cheaper, analogous alternative to meat may be out of luck, says Charlebois. That’s because consumers typically have to pay 38 per cent more for plant-based meat alternatives than meat itself.

“It’s an enigma. We don’t understand why these products are still so expensive today,” he says. “Four years after the Beyond Meat invasion, we were expecting more competition and prices to drop. But they haven’t.”

Charlebois says the best way for Canadian families to decrease their grocery bills is to reduce food waste.

“The biggest tip of all is to eat what you buy, as much as possible,” he says. “There’s a lot of waste going on and that waste is really costing everyone a lot of money.”

In February, the National Zero Waste Council found that 63 per cent of the food Canadians throw away is still edible. Avoidable food waste costs the average Canadian household $1,300 per year, according to the report.

Canada’s Food Price Report for 2022, led by Charlebois, predicts food prices on average will rise another five to seven per cent this year. A family of four can expect to pay $966 more for groceries in 2022 compared to the previous year.

Fashesin says food sharing has helped her save money, while reducing food waste. She started a food-sharing WhatsApp group in 2019, buying items in bulk from a wholesaler and splitting them with friends. The group grew into Early Bee, a small platform which Fashesin hopes will bring community members together to share unneeded food.

Jordana Hart, a holistic nutritionist and food and wellness blogger, adds that families can reduce food waste by keeping stock of inventory in the fridge. “Be realistic of what you’re actually using and stop purchasing things that you’re not using,” she says.

Another tip from Hart is to stop buying ingredients that will only be used once. By planning meals ahead of time, families can see which recipes call for similar ingredients and can shop accordingly. Freezing ingredients for future use can also help reduce food waste, says Hart.

“Though (the price increases) may be scary and everyone has a different financial situation, if we just plan ahead and we start noticing our own habits, we could make changes that support our budget and our health,” Hart says.

Joshua Chong is a Toronto-based staff reporter for the Star. Reach Joshua via email: jchong@torstar.ca