Food prices: Have you changed what you eat?

We want to hear from you: please tell us about your experience of the online community.

Hannah_Alumni

Are you eating the same as you were three years ago?

According to latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), food and non-alcoholic drink prices are rising faster than in the previous 45 years.

There's uncertainty over how we should best feed ourselves and our families. We’ve seen an increase in food bank needs, in cheap food purchasing and food sharing app downloads, and an increase or worsening of long-term health conditions. With local health chiefs saying “the increasing cost of essential food and energy has created a second health emergency” after covid.

Over to you:

• How have you been affected by rising food prices? 
• Do you have any tips for eating healthy on a budget? 
• Do you follow anyone online for food, recipe, or budget ideas?

Hannah_Alumni

This is a topic that I feel passionately about, so I did a little research.

The average price of a basket of shopping, using Which statistics from March 2023, shows Aldi came out top with 41 items costing £72.54. Only beating runner up Lidl by 25p.

But what I find missing from a lot of these comparison statistics of a basket or even a trolley full of shopping, is a diet consisting of what our health professionals say we need. Because we can be so stressed about eating something, I question how many people think about nutritional value? Do you?

I looked at the NHS’s Eat Well webpages for a balanced diet and I can see why so many people struggle to afford a healthier diet.

Using one example, that we must eat at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables every day. I decided to see what the cost of 5 portions of fresh strawberries would be to a basket worth of groceries.

Considering a portion would be 80g we would need a 400g punnet of strawberries. Priced at £2.19 in Aldi, we can assume a basket would have 3 days’ worth. Totalling £6.57 for just the fruit part of our 5 a day.

You could substitute that 400g of fresh fruit for frozen, with Aldi offering a 350g bag of frozen strawberries for £1.65. But I would have to assume you have a freezer or that, with the rising energy bills, you could afford to run your freezer.

You may ask why I used strawberries as an example.

I live with a stoma and find it hard to have fibre in my diet. Fruits like bananas can cause constipation issues when eaten in larger amounts and I cannot eat a lot of fruit skins. Strawberries are the perfect go to for someone with a disability like mine. But with rising costs, I find it harder each day to find a balance.

So, I went in search online. I have found many different social media influencers, like Meals by Mitch, who cooks hearty dinners for under £5.00 and includes ways to get a balanced diet.