A survey from Huron Perth Public Health has found it costs a family of four in the counties $309 a week to purchase groceries.
That’s about $1,338 per month, which would eat up 46 per cent of income for a family on Ontario Works if they followed Canada’s Food Guide recommendations.
The survey, entitled, The Real Cost of Eating: Food Insecurity in Huron Perth, used a food affordability tool to determine the cost of a week’s worth of groceries in 2024.
They priced out 61 food items, finding the lowest cost at eight local grocery stores.
Food availability is directly related to a person’s income and expenses, the survey found, including working part-time and being on a fixed income through social assistance.
The increasing cost of groceries and housing costs are also a factor.
People who can’t buy enough food are more likely to have poor overall health and financial strains increase adverse mental health effects.
The study said the most effective way to reduce household food insecurity is to make poverty reduction a political priority.
