Canadians buying cheaper brands, less meat

The rising cost of groceries in Canada is having a significant impact on what people are choosing to buy at the grocery store, according to a new poll from the Angus Reid Institute. Among other things, the poll shows Canadians are cutting back on meat and switching to cheaper brands to deal with the rising costs.

One of the report’s key findings was that more than half of all Canadians (57 per cent) say it’s become more difficult to afford to feed their households in the last year.

In addition to the large numbers of Canadians switching to cheaper brands when food shopping (71 per cent), two in five (40 per cent) say they have been choosing less healthy options at the grocery store. Of those saying they have been choosing less healthy foods for budgetary reasons, this includes nearly half (47 per cent) of those ages 18 to 34, and fully half (50 per cent) of those with household incomes below $50,000.

The survey also finds that more than three in five (61 per cent) have cut back on meat purchases in the past year because of increasing prices.

Overall, two in three Canadians (63 per cent) say that our rising food prices haven’t been getting enough attention from Canada’s leaders, while more than half (53 per cent) say it is “one of the most important” issues the country is facing right now.