Some County Derry families struggling to keep up with food inflation

Some County Derry families cannot afford to buy healthy food according to a new report from Safefood.

The report on the cost of a healthy food basked found some Mid Ulster families spend almost half of their total household income on food, making them compromise on nutrition for cheaper products

Some families spend up to £169 - 45 per cent of their take-home income, on food. Families with teenage children pay an extra £40 per week on food than those with younger children.

Safefood also carried out a report in the South that found families there are also struggling with food costs. However, they are paying up to 32 per cent of their household income, 13 per cent less than in the North.

Dr Aileen McGloin, Director of Nutrition with safefood said food prices are soaring and families can't keep up. “Average food prices are now at their highest since we started this series of research in 2014. We’re seeing a consistent pattern of households trying to balance buying an affordable food basket with other rising household expenses,” she said.

“With food shopping being the only flexible household spending, many families are being forced to choose cheaper and often nutritionally poor food items to keep food spending within their means and this is a really worrying trend.

“For all families with children, food is the largest household cost, and this has only been exacerbated by the rises we have seen in inflation in the past 12 months. Foods like meat, fruit, vegetables, dairy, bread, and cereals make up two-thirds of food costs for families and these foods have increased in price between three and seven per cent in the last two years.”

Inflation, soaring energy costs and government cuts are putting pressure on low-income households and subsequently a more pronounced nutritional inequality among the North’s population.

Recent data shows that grocery price inflation rose again and now stands at 15 per cent, up from around 14 per cent in January.

The report found that a two parent household with a child in primary and one in secondary that relies on financial support spends £169 on their weekly food shop – up more than four per cent on last year.

A food basket for a single pensioner living on their own has increased by nearly five per cent in the same period and costs them £64 per week, which is 29 per cent of their income.

For 20 year-old single mother and full-time student, Lori Armstrong, the challenge of balancing an affordable food basket with other rising household expenses is a struggle.

"Being a single parent and full-time student means I have to be resourceful and make every penny count. From managing household expenses to providing for my young daughter, it's a delicate balancing act that requires careful planning and sacrifices," she said

"I strive to give my two-year-old daughter the best start in life, and that includes providing her with healthy and nutritious foods but finding ways to do it by keeping the cost down. However, financial constraints coupled with the rising cost of everyday food items often force us to rely on convenience foods, which are cheaper but not always the healthiest options.

“I find it’s a constant trade-off between providing my daughter with a healthy diet and prioritising other household essentials such as gas and electricity. Sometimes, I would sacrifice our comfort by limiting heating our home to make sure she has everything she needs to thrive.”

The contents of the food baskets in the safefood survey were based on menus put together by the households themselves.

People selected an acceptable food basket in terms of taste and menu choices, while also meeting the social needs of a household, for example hosting visitors or special occasions like birthdays.

The food baskets were reviewed by nutritionists to ensure they met the nutritional guidelines and then price-checked accordingly.