Everyone deserves access to enough nutritious food to achieve and maintain good health, reach their optimal potential and thrive. Household food insecurity and food affordability are critical public health issues. When families face financial challenges, they are often forced to make difficult choice - reducing their food budgets, skipping meals, going without food for days. These difficult choices lead to poor nutrition, which overtime, can result in serious health issues and place additional strain on an already overburdened health care system and our communities.Monitoring Local Food Affordability
The Nutrition Food Basket (NFB) survey is a tool that measures the cost of basic healthy eating according to national nutrition recommendations and average food purchasing patterns. The foods surveyed include a variety of widely consumed choices from
Canada’s Food Guide that can be used to prepare a whole week’s worth of nutritious meals and snacks.
Each year the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit conducts the NFB survey to determine how much it costs to purchase a basket of basic nutritious foods. The results are used to monitor how affordable food is for individuals and families living in Simcoe County and the District of Muskoka based on various monthly income and expenses scenarios.
The results of the 2025 NFB survey continue to show, as in previous years, that many people and families living with lower incomes struggle to pay rent, bills, and purchase enough basic nutritious food for themselves and their families. In some cases, it is impossible.
Everyone deserves access to sufficient, nutritious food
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Download the 2025 Nutritious Food Basket Infographic.HealthSTATS .
What Happens When Nutritious Food Is Unaffordable?
Worrying about running out of food. Eating little or no fresh vegetables, fruit, milk or meat. Choosing cheaper, lower quality foods that are often higher in fats, sugar and sodium. Eating the same few foods for all their meals. Eating less food than they need. Going without eating so their children can eat. Skipping meals all together. Going a whole day or several days without eating. Not paying or delaying payment for others basic needs such as rent, transportation, cell phone, utilities, medication, clothing etc. Although this seems like a problem due to the increased cost of food, it is a problem of not having enough money for food and other basic needs. Not having enough money to buy food is called household food insecurity. Not having enough money for all basic needs is called material deprivation. Material deprivation is a lack of the goods, services, resources, and social activities that are considered necessary for an acceptable or adequate standard of living within a given society and is a direct measure of poverty.
Household food insecurity and poverty is a serious public health issue that can harm the health and well-being of individuals, families, and the whole community.
In Simcoe Muskoka, rates are worsening, with 26 percent of households–around 60,000—struggling to get enough food to meet their daily needs. Learn more by visiting our Health STATS page and Household Food Insecurity page.
Focusing on Solutions
Here’s how you can help:
Learn more by visiting our Household Food Insecurity webpage Talk with family, friends and community leaders to share your concerns and raise awareness Support and vote for policies that ensure fair income and access to food for everyone. Some effective solutions include:
Advocating to municipal, provincial and federal governments plays an important role in improving policies. Even small actions can make a difference, like writing a letter to your elected officials to encourage stronger support.
Use our advocacy e-letter to send the message directly to your local MP.
Finding Help in the Community
