The real cost of cheap food

This post was written by Aine Singleton and Sinead Rhodes

A recent BBC article explored the cost per calorie of various foods, through rising food costs and the challenges this creates for families. However, the BBC article oversimplified a complex issue by linking cheap calories with affordable nutrition. There are powerful stories about how food insecurity affects many families in the UK, but a closer look into research of the causes of food insecurity is missing.  

The BBC article describes the daily struggles of families facing food insecurity, the pressures they’re under and the difficult choices they must make and how this forces them to prioritise cheap calories over nutrition. However, by focusing on calories alone, this article ignores the importance of nutrition. This article could of benefitted from highlighting the issue of hidden hunger as a result of eating high-calorie, low-nutrient foods, or the fact that cheap calories often come at the expense of long term health, potentially causing implications down the line, for example obesity and diabetes.

In fact, the Broken plate report, which the article is based on, examines factors which contribute to food insecurity, such as access transportation and time constraints. The article does oversimplify a complex issue by framing it as a simple healthy vs. unhealthy foods. The Broken Plate Report points out that Healthy options cost £8.44 per 1000 calories while unhealthier options cost £4.88, reflected in the BBC article.

While the article does accurately state that healthy foods can be expensive, it does not mention affordable options such as frozen vegetables and pulses which are both cheap and nutrient rich. These are essential for health but also help keep us feeling fuller, for longer.

Another factor highlighted in the Broken Plate report but skipped over in the BBC article is the marketing of ultra-processed foods to children and young people can have a negative impact on relationships with food and diet.

This media article effectively shows the impact food insecurity has on people in the UK currently. It would of been strengthened by a deeper look into the Broken Plate report which  would allow for a more comprehensive look into the many factors which contribute to food insecurity. This issue is more than penny pinching, it is about families being forced to choose cheap calories over nutritious food, leading to hidden hunger and long term health complications.