Cost, not nutrition, now top concern for growing number of shoppers: report

globalnews.ca:

Canadians are increasingly heading straight for cheaper foods rather than considering the nutritional value of the groceries as they grapple with the rising cost of living, according to a report released Wednesday.

A new survey from the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University shows how Canadians’ shopping habits have shifted, after more than a year of high food inflation made trips to the grocery store more costly.

The Caddle polling of more than 5,500 Canadians in September shows that almost two thirds (64.1 per cent) of respondents said they’ve changed the way they buy groceries over the past year, with some 86.4 per cent saying they’re now more price-conscious.

Some 45.5 per cent of Canadians say they’re now prioritizing cost over nutritional value when grocery shopping to a greater degree than last year. Meanwhile, roughly three in five Canadians say they’re worried about compromising on nutrition due to high costs, worrying about the long-term impacts on their health.

“It’s actually quite concerning,” says Sylvain Charlebois, director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab.

“There are a lot of people out there who feel vulnerable when they go to the grocery store.”

Food inflation has routinely outpaced the overall price pressures in Canada during the ongoing inflationary bout.

While the annual price growth for groceries cooled to 6.9 per cent  in August from double-digit highs this time last year, trips to the grocery stores remain a pain point for Canadians squeezed between higher interest rates and an overall inflation rate of 4.0 per cent — still double the Bank of Canada’s targets.

Charlebois notes that it’s not necessarily an either-or scenario when it comes to eating well and saving money, with some affordable