Everyone deserves the right to adequate, healthy, safe, affordable and culturally appropriate food. People who live with food insecurity cannot afford to buy the food they want and need for good health.
Request your PDF copy of the Cost of Eating Healthy report!
Thirteen percent of households in the Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington (KFL&A) area live with food insecurity. This equals about 1 in 8 households in the KFL&A area.
Cost of Eating Healthy (transcript) |
NarratorImagine having to choose between buying food and paying your utilities bill.Words on screen2019, the cost of eating healthy.NarratorThirteen percent of households in Kingston, Frontenac, and Lennox and Addington area live with food insecurity. This means that about 1 in 8 homes in the KFL&A area do not know if there will be enough food next week or next month. Households on fixed or low incomes are often forced to use their food budget to pay for other expenses. What does it mean to live with food insecurity?Video descriptionSilhouette of woman holding arms out like a scale. One side of the scale shows a loaded grocery shopping cart, the other side icons for all the other expenses, such as dentist, car repair, household bills. Thought bubbles appear over the woman’s head.First personI am not able to find food that fits with my cultural identity.Second personI can not afford to buy healthy foods.Third personI have very little money left to buy food after paying the rent.Fourth personI skip meals so that there is enough food for my children.NarratorThe cost to buy food for a family of four in the KFL&A area for a month is 955 dollars.Video descriptionIllustration. Bar chart.Words on screenAmount of money left after the monthly rent has been paid for a family of four:Ontario works, Kingston. 125 dollars Ontario works, Napanee. 1,606 dollars Full-time minimum wage earner, Kingston. 1,635 dollars Full-time minimum wager earner, Napanee. 2,616 dollars Median Ontario Income, Kingston 5,905 dollars Median Ontario Income, Napanee. 6,966 dollars. Cost of healthy food per month. Video descriptionIllustration. Bar chart.Words on screenAmount of money left after the monthly rent has been paid for a single female parent with two children on Ontario Works.Ontario works, Kingston 1,201 dollars Ontario works, Napanee, 1,525 dollars Video descriptionIllustration. Adult female holding hands with boy and girl beside bar chart.Words on screen721 dollars, cost of healthy food per month.12 percent of households in KFL&A are female lone parent families. Video descriptionIllustration. Bar chart.Words on screenAmount of money left after the monthly rent has been paid for one person on Ontario Works and Ontario Disability Support Program.Ontario works, Kingston 80 dollars Ontario works, Napanee, 264 dollars Ontario Disability Support Program, Kingston, 197 dollars Ontario Disability Support Program, Napanee, 540 dollars Video descriptionIllustration. Adult male beside bar chart.Words on screen322 dollars, cost of healthy food per month.NarratorWhat can you do? Learn more about the impact of food insecurity on health. Advocate for solutions that will ensure secure and healthy food for all. Share this information with your peers, colleagues, and partner agencies.Video descriptionPhoto of the Cost of Eating Healthy Report.Video descriptionPhoto of the Cost of Eating Healthy InfographicWords on screenThe Cost of Eating Healthy InfographicWords on screen, narrator saysFor more information contact KFL&A Public Health at 613-549-1232, or online at kflaph.ca |
Households on fixed or low incomes are often forced to compromise healthy eating to pay for other expenses.
Twelve percent of households in KFL&A are female lone parent families.
Remaining monthly funds after the rent represents funds available for food and basic expenses, such as: heat, hydro, childcare, transportation, clothing, eye care, dental care, and personal care.
Scenario 1 - Ontario Works, Family of Four |
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Scenario 2 - Minimum Wage Earner, Family of Four (full-time/full year)
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Scenario 4 - Ontario Works, Single Parent |
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Scenario 5 - Ontario Works, One Person |
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Scenario 6 - Ontario Disability Support Program, One Person |
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Scenario 7 - Old Age Security or Guaranteed Income Supplement |
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We use the Nutritious Food Basket (NFB) survey tool to measure the cost of eating healthy in the Kingston, Frontenac and Lennox & Addington (KFL&A) area. The NFB survey includes 67 food items that reflect a healthy eating pattern from Canada's Food Guide.
KFL&A Public Health surveyed seven grocery stores in May using guidelines from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. The lowest available price is recorded for each food item. The prices from all the stores are then averaged. An extra five percent is added to the total food cost to account for additional food items such as spices, seasonings, condiments, baking supplies, soups, coffee, and tea.
The survey also does not include costs associated with eating out at restaurants and extra costs for inviting company to share a meal.
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Step 1: Write down the gender and age of each person in the household.
Step 2: Use the Nutritious Food Basket Costs from the Weekly Food Costs in the KFL&A Area table and write down the weekly costs for each person.
Step 3: Add the weekly food costs together for the subtotal.
Step 4: Use the Adjustments table for the group size. It costs a little more per person to feed a small group and a little less to feed a large group.
Step 5: To find out the monthly food costs, multiply your total by 4.33.
Weekly food costs in the KFL&A area
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1. Nutritious Food Basket data results 2019 for KFL&A Public Health - includes family size adjustment factors.
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Adjustments |
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Scenario references |
May 2019: Nutritious Food Basket scenarios
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