MONTRÉAL, - In the lead-up to World Food Day on October 16, which aims to raise public awareness of current food insecurity, the Montreal Diet Dispensary is taking this opportunity to present its report on the 2021-2022 Nutritious and Affordable Food Basket (NAFB). The NAFB is an effective and reliable tool that estimates the minimum cost each year of a balanced diet that meets the population's nutritional recommendations. According to the data collected between October 2021 and July 2022, the minimum annual cost of a healthy diet was estimated at $12,987.35 for a family of four in Montréal, which is $8.90 per person per day. In less than a year, the cost of the Nutritious and Affordable Food Basket grew 15%.
The results of the 2021-2022 NAFB report
Collected each quarter in October 2021 and January, April and July 2022, the data presented is from price surveys at selected standard and discount food retailers in Lachine. The results were obtained by taking the price of foods into consideration alongside the quantity of food required to meet the nutritional needs of a typical family1 of two adults and two children. In total, 68 basic food items were selected based on their low cost, nutritional value and accessibility, while taking into consideration the consumption habits of the Québec population.
Some data from the report for the assessed period: