{"id":341,"date":"2018-11-16T04:32:14","date_gmt":"2018-11-16T04:32:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/foodforott\/?p=341"},"modified":"2018-11-23T18:35:24","modified_gmt":"2018-11-23T18:35:24","slug":"food-prices-rising-making-healthy-eating-harder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/foodforott\/2018\/11\/16\/food-prices-rising-making-healthy-eating-harder\/","title":{"rendered":"Food prices rising: making healthy eating harder"},"content":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.17.6″ custom_padding=”0|0px|34.0781px|0px|false|false”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.17.6″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.17.6″ parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.17.6″]Gerlie Ormelet | Nov. 16, 2018<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sticker shock is becoming a more common experience at the supermarket. Shoppers hoping to pick up fresh produce are looking at price tags and walking away disappointed.<\/p>\n

Food inflation in Canada was expected to raise grocery prices from one to three per cent this year, according to a report from Dalhousie University. Fruit and vegetable prices are expected to increase the most: from one to three per cent for fruits and from four to six per cent for vegetables. This is projected to have knock-on effects for restaurants and food banks too. <\/p>\n

Prices have been rising in Loblaws grocery stores over the last three months, according to a statement issued by the Canadian grocery store chain on Wednesday. Some Ottawa residents worry that if the trend continues, they won\u2019t be able to afford fruits and vegetables.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s going to make things harder for people who are health conscious and don\u2019t want to eat as many processed foods,\u201d said Eva Lin, a customer at Massine\u2019s Independent Grocer in Centretown. \u201cWho can afford to buy five to eight servings of vegetables these days?\u201d<\/p>\n

The store\u2019s manager, Dave Massine, said that the changes are inevitable.<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything goes up in price and usually prices go up every winter,\u201d he said, and this year,\u201ca lot of it has to do with Mother Nature.\u201d Massine explained that higher prices for California produce may be partially due to the recent wildfires in the state.[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.17.6″][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.17.6″ parallax=”off” parallax_method=”on”][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/foodforott\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/PHOTO-2018-11-23-13-28-49.jpg” _builder_version=”3.17.6″][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”3.17.6″]<\/p>\n

Centretown Emergency Food Centre is located at a seven-minute walk from Massine\u2019s Independent food store. Once a month, low-income and unemployed neighbourhood residents line up in the centre\u2019s basement to receive three to four days worth of groceries.<\/p>\n

For many who use the centre\u2019s monthly fruit and vegetable service, the prices for healthy food at local grocery stores go beyond their budget. John Belair says that produce wouldn\u2019t be an option for him without the food bank\u2019s help. \u201cAt least here [at the centre] we can get onions, potatoes and many other vegetables. I am not a big fruit eater but I can get them here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Like Belair, many low-income Ottawa residents aren\u2019t able to meet their dietary needs because of the cost of groceries, according to Aidan Grapes, a volunteer at the centre.<\/p>\n

Centretown Emergency Food Centre is able to provide its members with boxes of food because it receives charitable donations and discounted prices from food suppliers. It has benefited from Massine\u2019s help too.\u00a0<\/p>\n

AUDIO<\/strong>: Grapes explains how Massine\u2019s Independent Grocer helps Centretown\u2019s community.<\/em><\/p>\n

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