The Cost of Healthy Eating in Simcoe County

(Winter 2002 edition)

How much does it cost to eat a basic healthy diet in Simcoe County? And how does this cost fit into the basic budgets of families living in our communities?

To find local answers to these questions, a "Healthy Food Basket Survey" was carried out in six Simcoe County grocery stores in June 2002. Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit staff and members of other community agencies and groups with an interest in the results teamed up to record the prices of 66 specific foods on a standard survey list.

These foods included a variety of less expensive choices from the four food groups of Canada's Food Guide to Healthy Eating: breads, cereals and other grain foods; vegetables and fruits, milk and other dairy products; meats, fish and poultry; canned beans and other meat alternates. Nothing exotic here - all foods surveyed were known to be everyday choices of budget-wise Ontario shoppers.

Together these 66 food items can be used to prepare a week's worth of meals and snacks that would please the taste buds of the average Ontario family and, at the same time, meet Canadian nutrition guidelines for both adults and children. For that reason, items with little nutritional value, like soft drinks and popular snack foods, were not included in the survey; neither were non-food items like dish soap, paper towels, shampoo and other personal care items that most people also add to their shopping carts.

Survey results give us an up-to-date idea of how much it actually costs individuals and families in Simcoe County to eat a nutritious diet. And because the survey will be repeated annually, we will be able to track changes in the cost of healthy eating over time. Results will also allow us to assess the adequacy of social assistance and minimum wage incomes in meeting basic household needs.

The Cost of a Healthy Food Basket in Simcoe County....

Here are the results of the June 2002 Food Basket Survey. Five per cent has been added to the figures to cover the cost of miscellaneous items used in everyday meal preparation such as spices, seasonings, condiments, baking supplies, coffee and tea.

How to Figure Out Your Own Household Food Costs

How Affordable is the Healthy Food Basket in Simcoe County?

Even though food is very reasonably priced in most parts of Canada, not everyone can afford to put enough of it on the table. This usually isn't because food prices are too high. More often, it's because the dollars at hand just can't be stretched far enough.

According to Statistics Canada, Canadians spend, on average, 18% of their disposable income on food. How affordable is a healthy diet in Simcoe County? Do food costs fit with household budgets? Let's take a look at how some families are managing...

Three Family Scenarios

With thanks to Shirriff Sedgwick Post & Whittier Chartered Accountants for their assistance in the preparation of these family scenarios.

* "Monthly Income" includes net income from wages or social assistance (basic needs allowance + shelter subsidy + back-to-school allowance + winter clothing allowance, when these apply) plus income from all applicable tax credits, e.g. Canada Child Tax Benefits and Benefit Supplements, GST Tax Credits, Ontario Property & Sales Tax Credits. ** "Other Expenses" includes clothing, transportation, personal care, telephone bills, cleaning supplies, home maintenance, recreation and emergency costs. (Note that with both parents working full-time, higher transportation costs and before/after school child care expenses may come into play.)

Statistics Canada considers the allocation of 30% or more of a household's income for housing expenses as a benchmark for assessing the affordability of housing. Simcoe County families receiving social assistance or relying on minimum wage income spend a significantly higher percentage of their total income than that on housing costs. Rent and utility bills are inflexible expenses, but food dollars are not necessarily seen the same way. When more money is needed for basics like clothing, transportation or home maintenance, or if a family emergency arises, dollars originally set aside for food may end up being spent on something else... and this means that there's not enough money left for healthy eating.

Communities across Ontario are supporting programs and activities that can help narrow the gap between people and their ability to provide safe, healthy food for themselves and their families. Many initiatives are taking place right here in Simcoe County.

Access to Food: What's Out There Already?

Community cooking clubs, school breakfast programs, pick-your-own farms, prenatal nutrition programs, community gardens, Meals on Wheels....these are just some of the programs and activities underway that help bring people and healthy food together. Many of our communities also support food banks, soup kitchens and other emergency food services for people with urgent needs. Your local Community Information Centre can help you find out about food access-related programs and services in your part of the county and tell you how to contact them directly:

South Simcoe Community Information Centre (Alliston) 435-4900
Information Orillia 326-7743
FYI North Simcoe (Midland) 528-6999
Information Barrie 727-7504
Collingwood & District Information Centre 445-0641

You can help your local Information Centre stay up-to-date on food access-related activities in your community. If you know of a new school breakfast program, community garden, soup kitchen, etc. that's starting up where you live, contact your Information Center and let them know.

Start Something New in Your Community....

Perhaps you've discovered that there's no cooking club in your area and you'd like to find out how to start one from scratch. Maybe you enjoy vegetable gardening and would like to share your knowledge and skills with others. Your local Community Information Centre can help you find out about other individuals and groups with "hands on" experience to share. For information about healthy eating and for other resources that can help get you started, phone Health Connection, the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit's phone line at:
721-7520 or toll free 1-877-721-7520

Produced by Nutrition, Healthy Living Service, Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit, Winter 2002.
May be reproduced without permission provided source is acknowledged.