The Montreal Diet Dispensary Presents the Results of the Nutritious and Affordable Food Basket: What Is the Real Cost of a Basic Balanced Diet in 2022?

MONTRÉAL, - In the lead-up to World Food Day on October 16, which aims to raise public awareness of current food insecurity, the Montreal Diet Dispensary is taking this opportunity to present its report on the 2021-2022 Nutritious and Affordable Food Basket (NAFB). The NAFB is an effective and reliable tool that estimates the minimum cost each year of a balanced diet that meets the population's nutritional recommendations. According to the data collected between October 2021 and July 2022, the minimum annual cost of a healthy diet was estimated at $12,987.35 for a family of four in Montréal, which is $8.90 per person per day. In less than a year, the cost of the Nutritious and Affordable Food Basket grew 15%.

The results of the 2021-2022 NAFB report

Collected each quarter in October 2021 and January, April and July 2022, the data presented is from price surveys at selected standard and discount food retailers in Lachine. The results were obtained by taking the price of foods into consideration alongside the quantity of food required to meet the nutritional needs of a typical family¹ of two adults and two children. In total, 68 basic food items were selected based on their low cost, nutritional value and accessibility, while taking into consideration the consumption habits of the Québec population.

Some data from the report for the assessed period:

• Grain products and canned and frozen or fresh fruit have had the highest cost increases, at 37% and 41% respectively.
• There was a significant increase for basic food items like pasta (116%), legumes (17%), white flour (225%), white sugar (25%) and margarine (51%).
• The cost of plant-based protein sources increased 13% between October 2021 and July 2022. Among these products, the cost of legumes increased more (17%), even though they remain an affordable source of protein compared to animal-based protein sources like meats.
• The cost of commercial infant formula and baby cereals increased 40% and 36% respectively between October 2021 and July 2022.

Food insecurity

The Observatoire québécois des inégalités at Université de Montréal has been studying the NAFB data for a number of years. Research conducted by François Fournier, Ph.D., shows that moderate and severe food insecurity in Québec increased from 10% to 15% between March 2020 and May 2022.² According to Fournier, economic instability and inflationary trends disproportionately disadvantage low-income households, which are most affected by food insecurity.

A person is food insecure when they are unable to acquire or consume an adequate diet quality or sufficient quantity of food in socially acceptable ways or when they are uncertain that they will be able to do so. Household food insecurity is often linked with their lack of financial ability to access adequate food.