How much does a week of groceries cost in Canada?

[oneh2obabe]

Keeping the fridge stocked is a weekly chore for many of us, but how much will the average Canadian spend each week?
That is, forgive the pun, a million-dollar question.

While Statistics Canada carefully tracks how food prices change from month to month and year to year, it does not reveal the actual price of the foods it monitors.

So Global News turned to Health Canada’s so-called Nutritious Food Basket, the blueprint that government agencies and non-profits use to assess the affordability of a healthy diet.

https://globalnews.ca/news/3828492/heal ... st-canada/

[Thinktank]

^ That article, doesn't say much.

In fact, it doesn't really tell us anything of value.

$200 a week for four. but it didn't say a thing about what that buys you.

[oneh2obabe]

Guess you missed this part ... So Global News turned to Health Canada’s so-called Nutritious Food Basket, the blueprint that government agencies and non-profits use to assess the affordability of a healthy diet.

The 2008 National Nutritious Food Basket is based on the latest dietary guidance (Dietary Reference Intakes https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/ ... takes.html and Eating Well with Canada's Food Guide) https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/ ... uides.html, as well as food consumption data (Canadian Community Health Survey, Cycle 2.2, Nutrition) https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/ ... -cchs.html .

[Jflem1983]

I spend way too much on food. I seem to be unable to manage a food budget

[Even Steven]

$200 a week for four.

What? Do you eat nothing but turnips and jello?

For two of us it's $900/month with upticks into $1,000 zone if people come over.

[Thinktank]

Well that was interesting.I haven't watched the News on TV for ten years or more and I just
remembered how GlobalNews does things. They don't tell you much of value.

- Little packages of cut up vegetables cost more than if you cut it yourself - wow - who would have guessed that?
- Buy no name brand food. Why should I? so the rich people can get the brand name stuff?
- Eat less meat. Or eat the cheaper meats. That's a whole big other topic - how much meat to eat.
- Check flyers for sales. Yup - I do that. But it's not going to help that much.
- Buy what's in season. Yup - I do that. But it's not going to help that much.
- Stock your freezer. Yup - I do that. But it's not going to help that much.
- Grow a goofy little garden. I happen to grow a bigger garden and think GlobalNews is just wasting people's time
with their advice.

The great Bernard Jensen, author of several books on nutrition and how to get well said "People who save money on food end up paying it later in doctor's bills. Eat the best food you can get."

So, being cheap when it comes to food is a big mistake. Unfortunately, a lot of people can't do much about it, and that's where GlobalNews is pretty much useless, because if someone can't afford quality food, buying in season, stocking your freezer, and not eating meat won't help very much.

A better topic would be:
Why 25% of BC people are not getting nutritious meals

or

How big food corporations sell us food poor in nutrition, and what to watch out for

..

[W105]

I thought you said you had kids Even Steven ??

yes $200 a week for a family of 3-4 depending on age is about right...that's if you actually prepare and cook most of your food..

[Bsuds]

I have been tracking our spending for almost 5 years.

3 adults with one who works at least half the year as a chef and eats mostly at work. We provide meals (leftovers) for an elderly friend and occasionally food for another adult when he is out of work. (not that often)

It has stayed pretty steady at $1000.00/month

[WeatherWoman]

$200 a week for four.

What? Do you eat nothing but turnips and jello?

For two of us it's $900/month with upticks into $1,000 zone if people come over.

We float between $150-250 per week for 4. Less in the summer because we grow our own veg.

[TylerM4]

My family of 4 is also around $200/week. Fairly basic healthy home cooked meals.

Having said that - I bet we could reduce that to $125/week (and still stay healthy) if we were to compromise. Cheese for example - expensive and could easily get that nutrition elsewhere. Soda/Juice - not needed in any diet and healthier to drink water. Eat ground beef vs steak (6oz a day is all you need), less expensive veggies prepared yourself, buying and using whole chickens (make soup for almost free after) instead of packaged chicken breasts,etc.

There's also opportunity to gather some of your own food through inexpensive options like canning, starting a veggie garden, and fishing the local lakes.

[JLives]

Meat prices can also be brought down by hunting. Especially if you butcher your own meat. It is also a cleaner and more ethical source of meat if you take care to do it properly.

[Thinktank]

Eat ground beef vs steak ... buying and using whole chickens ....

There's lots of things people can do but......

The reality, though, is that most people tend to cut back on groceries rather than miss paying their bills, said Comeau.

Supermarket shelves are loaded with weird processed, packaged, non-nutritious sugary garbage - and people buy it. Then they go cheap on other stuff. We wouldn't all be obese (or at least half of us) if we were doing things right.

Buying pizza is not doing things right. Buying any fast food is not doing things right. Buying anything loaded with sugar is not doing things right. Buying tasty stuff in little packages is not doing things right. Buying too much bread related food is not doing things right. Actually, buying steak and eating smaller amounts now and then might be doing things very right.

I think the #1 thing some people do wrong - they are lazy. Too lazy to prepare their own meals. Too lazy to peel apples which they buy locally by the box to make a pie, so they buy it in a tiny paper package from a drive thru window.

But there's one other thing no one is talking about. Can you afford blueberries? Avocados? Cashews? What about the good food that is expensive? How often can you buy that? or is it only the rich that can buy it and everyone else buys Kraft Dinner?

I would definitely grow a garden. And buy bigger quantities of locally grown stuff, like at a farmers market when possible. I would probably eat deer meat too, but I'm not one of those guys who knows how to hunt.

But mainly - I do not go cheap. I don't know what I spend, but sometimes it's a lot and I don't care. I'll neve go cheap when it comes to food.


I remember one day saying "Hey, those tomatoes aren't cheap. What a rip-off" at the farmers market once (to myself)
and later I thought, so what? It's still good food, better than California stuff.


..

[TylerM4]

Meat prices can also be brought down by hunting. Especially if you butcher your own meat. It is also a cleaner and more ethical source of meat if you take care to do it properly.

Yes, but I think most hunters will tell you that by the time you buy a gun, ammo, a hunting vehicle, license/tags, gasoline, and a deep freeze that you're not going to save much/any when compared to buying from the store. Especially if you work in the cost of your time.

[Fancy]

Yes, but I think most hunters will tell you that by the time you buy a gun, ammo, a hunting vehicle, license/tags, gasoline, and a deep freeze that it's cheaper to buy from the store. Especially if you work in the cost of your time.

The initial costs are there but you don't buy a gun, freezer, hunting vehicle etc. every year. The time is irrelevant when considering how great it is to get into the great outdoors instead of sitting inside watching TV. I couldn't even begin to add up the amount of meat/fish we have in our freezer and we know where it all came from.

[JLives]

Yes, but I think most hunters will tell you that by the time you buy a gun, ammo, a hunting vehicle, license/tags, gasoline, and a deep freeze that you're not going to save much/any when compared to buying from the store. Especially if you work in the cost of your time.

Who is buying a truck just for hunting? You likely already have one. I do. I just got my hunting license a few weeks ago. I already had a freezer too. A gun and ammo is not that expensive if you are not frivolous. Or use a bow. My cousin just got a moose, that was 500 pounds of meat. The time is negligent because we're usually in the bush anyway.