Healthy Food Getting More Expensive: Study
The price of fruits and vegetables is climbing faster than inflation, while junk food is actually becoming cheaper, the findings of this 2007 University of Washington study suggest.
Researchers at the University of Washington found that low-calorie, nutrient-rich foods — mainly fruits and vegetables — were far more expensive, calorie for calorie, than sweets and snack foods.
The average price of the lowest-calorie foods — including green vegetables, tomatoes and berries — increased by almost 20% over 2 years. In contrast, in the same time period there was a 2% dip in the cost of the most high calorie snack foods.
These findings present an obstacle to healthy eating, especially among the financially disenfranchised, and may explain why obesity rates are highest within the poorest populations in the U.S.