The cost of eating well continues to climb, and Huron County is just one example.
The Huron County Health Unit has released its 2016 findings in its annual The Real Cost of Eating Well in Huron Report.
The report concludes that the cost of groceries in Huron County has risen 24% since 2009.
According to public health dietitian Amy MacDonald, "food poverty" is a problem that is spreading. She says families and individuals are cutting their food budgets to make ends meet and this has a negative impact on their health and quality of life.
MacDonald cites research that says the costs to the health care system increase by as much as 76% when people can’t afford to purchase enough food.
Every May, health units across Ontario complete a food costing survey in local grocery stores to approximate the weekly and monthly cost of food for families and individuals.
MacDonald says every year, it says the same thing; food costs are increasing faster than incomes.
The Huron County Health Unit is asking county residents to support income strategies that will give all residents the means to purchase nutritious food. This includes asking for living wages, federal and provincial basic income guarantees, and social assistance rates to reflect the actual cost of living.
