Winnipeg home economist says look past expiration date, shop less to cut food costs, waste – Winnipeg

The rising cost of groceries due to record inflation may lead many to add saving money on food to their New Year’s resolutions list.

The Canada Food Price Report 2023released by a group from a group of Canadian universities, estimates that food prices will rise an average of another five to seven percent this year.

Researchers say a typical family of four will spend an average of $16,288 on food over the course of 2023, up $1,065 from this year. A two-adult household will spend $7,711, an increase of more than $500 from 2022.

Those increases will come if food inflation remains above 10 percent, according to Statistics Canada figures released late last year.

0:34Winnipeg shoppers react to rising food prices

Getty Stewart, a Winnipeg home economist, says those looking to save on food costs can get started quickly by simply making sure they use the groceries they buy.

She says that can be as simple as planning meals in advance and making fewer trips to the grocery store.

If we somehow manage to go to the grocery store just once a week and if you’re already there, push it to once every two weeks, you’ll definitely save money,” Stewart said Tuesday.

Because every time we walk into the grocery store, we see things, we add things to our cart that we didn’t even know we wanted or needed.

Stewart suggests planning four meals a week in advance, which leaves room to go out, order in, or make a surprise meal while still making it easier to stick to a grocery list.

The food price report predicts price increases across all food groups, but expects vegetables to see the largest cost increase of six to eight percent. The cost of eating out at restaurants is expected to increase by four to six percent along with the price of seafood.

1:01Canadians still prefer use-by dates despite increased food waste

Fruit prices are expected to see the smallest increase of up to five percent, while every other category of meat, bakery and dairy will increase between five and seven percent.

Stewart says that of all the food that is thrown away — fruits and vegetables are the most common — leftovers are a close second.

That’s why she recommends making sure fresh produce is kept in the refrigerator, while keeping root vegetables — things like onions and potatoes — out.

“Use the sniff test”

One of the biggest money-saving tricks Stewart recommends can be a little counterintuitive for some — think twice about throwing out food that has passed its expiration date.

“Once you open that container, that expiration date is void, so don’t even look at it once you open the container,” she said.

“Use the sniff test, especially for dairy. It will tell you when it’s ready to throw.

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Manufacturers have used the labels to estimate peak freshness for decades. Unlike label uses, which are found on perishable foods such as meat and dairy products, shelf life labels have nothing to do with safety and can encourage consumers to throw away foods that are fine to eat.

Stewart says that in addition to stretching out the food in the fridge, learning to look past the best-before date can also save money at the store, since those items are often marked down.

Ultimately, reducing food costs and waste benefits more than just our wallets, says Leanne Keddie, a professor of accounting at Carleton University.

With the United Nations estimating that 17 percent of global food production is wasted each year, Keddie says food waste is both a social and an environmental problem.

3:22Rising inflation and food costs in Manitoba

“We have people at the same time who are still quite food insecure, they’re having trouble accessing food, there’s not enough food to go around,” Keddie said.

“At the same time, somewhere between 30 and 60 percent of our food is wasted.”

While issues that have led to rising food costs are expected to persist into 2023 – supply chain issues, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and a weaker Canadian dollar – one of the researchers behind the food chain could see a light on the tunnel, according to one of the researchers behind the food chain. price report.

We hope to see a spike and hopefully a decline in food inflation by the end of 2023, Samantha Taylor, a senior instructor of accountancy at Dalhousie University, told Global News last month.

– with files from Global’s Teagan Rasche, Sean Boynton and The Associated Press

© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.