Grocery prices are soaring. But this food favorite is getting cheaper. Why? Because a new study has revealed that consumers are willing to pay more to ensure they get more nutrition in what they buy…and because of the changes made in the USDA food guide.
This finding, reported in today’s Wall Street Journal, reveals that the nation’s food dollar is steadily shifting from high-priced, higher-calorie fruits and vegetables to lower-priced, lower-calorie items that are both more nutritious and affordable. And it’s all driven by a few seemingly simple rules that consumers are increasingly demanding:
Eat more whole grains. Don’t eat as much meat and other animal products. Use less sugar. Make your own food.
These rules don’t always apply to grocery shopping for adults, the study finds. But many of the changes are the same for kids.
The study showed that food prices have been steadily rising for several years, and consumer choice in what they buy has not shown any sign of weakening. That’s why retailers have been raising prices steadily, and that’s why parents have begun to resist buying the bulk of the food their kids buy.
The study said that in the past year, consumers have started to demand more nutrition out of produce, and they want more variety from the food they buy as well as more fiber and vitamins from food.
In a time of soaring food prices, it’s not surprising that the nation’s children are increasingly getting less nutritious food from stores. But it’s a surprise to learn that many of the rules for feeding the nation’s children have also been shifting in a downward direction.
How is this happening? It seems that there are two sets of changes going on.
First, the USDA has dramatically cut back on the fruits and vegetables it approves for children’s meals and meals for school lunches.
