Healthy food is out of reach for many on fixed and low incomes.
Rising costs of healthy food are a growing burden for Ottawa families, according to Ottawa Public Health.
The release estimates that a family of four will spend $745 per month to put healthy food on the table, a cost many low-income households struggle to afford.
The statistics come from the city’s Nutritious Food Basket Survey that follows the basic costs of healthy living in Ottawa.
The numbers paint a picture of a growing gap between nutritious food options and cheap processed alternatives.
“Unfortunately, many families are not able to afford nutritious foods after paying rent and utilities,” Somerset Coun. Diane Holmes, chair of the Board of Health, said in the release.
“The cost of rent for a three-bedroom apartment has increased, and a fixed income leaves many families unable to consistently purchase healthy foods and cover other basic monthly expenses.”
The high costs of eating healthy leaves low-income residents vulnerable to more of the health issues that come with a poor diet.
“The numbers are alarming because lack of food security can be linked to low birth weights, reduced learning and productivity, chronic disease and lack of nutrients,” said Isra Levy, Ottawa’s medical officer of health.
“Households on fixed incomes and minimum wage earners have little left over to purchase sufficient amounts of nutritious foods.”
For Eric Lauer, a 20-year-old Carleton student and Centretown resident on a limited income, sticking to a healthy diet is a constant challenge.
“Not only eating healthy but living a healthy lifestyle in general is a challenge when money is tight,” Lauer said. “You have to make choices.”
Lauer says he likes to stick to a mostly organic diet but the higher costs often have him thinking twice.
“It definitely costs more to buy organic compared to stuffing your face at McDonald’s for five bucks,” he said.
Low-income residents looking for healthier food options are not entirely on their own in Ottawa.
Peter Tilley, executive director of the Ottawa Food Bank, says the organization has gradually shifted to a focus on fresh and healthy food options to meet new demands.
“We’ve seen a trend in the past 10 years where the Ottawa Food Bank has tried to get out more healthy food,” says Tilley.
“When I took over here, we were basically sending out the staples, but over time we began to focus on things like healthier cereals, whole wheat bread, fresh produce and our community harvest program.”
Tilley acknowledges that the rising costs of healthy food in the past decade are very likely tied to a greater demand at the Ottawa Food Bank.
“Consumers take a hit when the prices of chips and pop go up, but that doesn’t affect us,” he says.
“Certainly, when the price of healthy food goes up, we take a big hit in our budget.”
Levy suggests residents look to community-based projects that try to improve access to nutritious food.
One of these projects, Ottawa Good Food Box, brings neighbours together to buy fresh produce at wholesale prices.
That program runs all year round and is co-ordinated by the Centretown Community Health Centre.