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Cost of healthy eating ballooning in Northwest

THUNDER BAY -- If you feel like eating healthily is stretching your budget further than it was last year at this time, you’re not alone.
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A Regional Food Distribution Association makes dough for baking. RFDA executive director Volker Kromm says the cost of fruits and vegetables have increased up to 30 per cent in Northwestern Ontario, this year alone. (Jon Thompson, tbnewswatch.com)

THUNDER BAY -- If you feel like eating healthily is stretching your budget further than it was last year at this time, you’re not alone.

The price of fruit across Canada has increased 13 per cent since 2014 and vegetables have increased 14 per cent.

Health units across the region recognize general food costs in Northwestern Ontario as 30 per cent higher than they are in the rest of Ontario and the uncanny increase in produce prices is putting strain on the region’s food banks.

Regional Food Distribution Association executive director Volker Kromm estimates in Northwestern Ontario, the price of produce is probably double that 13 and 14 per cent national figure.

“We’re trying to buy for more food banks and were trying to buy healthier foods so we’re seeing a 30 per cent increase in the price we have to pay for bulk food,” he said.

“When we go shopping, it’s a bit of a scary moment because the reality is, to buy the same amount, we’re looking at more donations.”

Food banks and soup kitchens under the RFDA are serving between 13,000 and 14,000 people each month, a six per cent increase in clients from last year.

To compound costs, the RFDA has been redirecting efforts to include more fresh food. Kromm said his concern is seeing increased reliance among those who were already using food banks.

“The demand is unbelievable. The people who are finding the food banks are also the ones who can’t afford to buy the meats and fruits and vegetables at the grocery store,” Kromm said. 

The price of meat is up six per cent year-to-year.

“If they’re going to scrimp anywhere, it’s going to be when they do the shopping. The expectation is when they go to the food banks, some of those items are going to be there. Frankly, that’s what’s missing from their diet and everyone is entitled to have nutritious food.”

Measuring food security goes beyond counting those relying on food banks. According to the Thunder Bay District Health Unit public health nutritionist Catherine Schwartz-Mendez, one in 10 local people are food-insecure. That presents her office with a challenge.

“The health unit recommends for chronic disease prevention that we eat more fruits and vegetables so it’s that much harder for people to afford the healthy food we’re promoting,” she said.

Schwartz-Mendez pointed to health unit programs like Good Food Box and cooking lessons, arguing there are avenues to healthy eating but added increasing prices is making that more difficult for more people.

“I think it makes it a little bit harder but I think the more we can focus on fresh, raw food and also budgetary ways of getting frozen and other forms of that food that might be a little bit less expensive,” she said.





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