Affordability is outweighing nutrition and taste when Canadians are buying food and some are even dipping into their savings or borrowing money to make those purchases, a new report has found.
Dalhousie University’s agri-food analytics lab released its spring 2026 Canadian Food Sentiment Index on Tuesday, which provides a snapshot of people’s attitudes toward food prices and grocery shopping behaviours.
About 3,000 people were surveyed every six months, and were asked the same questions each time.
According to 45.5 per cent, affordability is the primary factor they consider when shopping and it outweighs the nutrition or taste of what they’re buying. About 25 per cent say nutrition is important, with taste sitting at about 15 to 18 per cent.
“So people are prioritizing affordability and you’re seeing in the market, there are more discount banners out there and people are actually visiting grocery stores more often, which is a good sign, but it’s more work,” said Sylvain Charlebois, director of the agri-food analytics lab and co-author of the report.
The report also showed that about 81 per cent said food was the price that has increased the most in the past 12 months. Utilities are seen as a secondary pressure, with 30 per cent saying they’ve increased the most.
For the average Canadian, the report found they’re paying almost $23 more in food per month than a year ago, when the last study was conducted.
But while the amount being spent has increased, the report showed that stress over inflation has decreased. One year ago, the spring 2025 report found anxiety about affordability had increased, with 28.5 per cent saying they believed food price inflation could increase by more than 10 per cent in the next 12 months. This year, that’s dropped to 18.6 per cent, while about 30.7 per cent say they expect inflation to increase closer to five to seven per cent.
“When you actually talk about the price of apples, onions, bread, [people] actually have a vague idea of how much they should be paying and that makes for a much smarter, more strategic consumer base,” Charlebois said. “Instead of being shocked and being compelled to buy certain products that you think are overpriced, actually, people do walk away from overpriced items, which is really what you want as much as possible.”
Food prices from stores increased about 4.4 per cent on a yearly basis last month, according to Statistics Canada.
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Even though they’re savvy at purchasing, Charlebois cautioned that some are still struggling to the point they’re having to borrow money to buy food.
The report found 34 per cent of Canadians are dipping into savings or borrowing to afford food, the same level as in fall 2024, when inflation was at about 2.4 per cent, as it was last month. The increase comes after the percentage of people dipping into savings or borrowing dropped to 28 per cent last fall.
With cost still being a big factor, the survey showed Canadians are looking at alternatives, including 45 per cent seeking discounts. It also found 8.5 per cent using food-rescue and food-surplus apps like TooGoodtoGo or FoodHero.
Meal habits are also showing a change, with the report showing that the proportion of Canadians who consider themselves omnivores — those who eat both meat and plants — has decreased, with only 55 per cent identifying as such, a drop from 67.6 per cent in fall 2024.
“The drop in an omnivorous diet in favour of adaptable diets such as the flexitarian gives insight on how Canadians are managing their food budgets in difficult times,” Stacey Taylor, a co-author of the report, said in a statement.
Though Charlebois said it might not be just food costs that are changing people’s dietary habits.
“People are aware that they have options and the more options you have, the better,” he said.
© 2026 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
