Karen M. Jetter|Diana Cassady
The Availability and Cost of Healthier Food Alternatives
Issues Research|University of California, Davis|University of California, Davis
many people especially lowincome consumers successfully follow dietary recommendations eat whole grains less fat added sugar food environment may significant impact choice lowincome consumers eat healthier foods availability price healthier food items may limit ability eat healthier diet investigated cost availability standard market basket foods healthier basket included lowfat meat dairy whole grain productsmarketbasket surveys conducted 25 stores los angeles sacramento stores selected neighborhoods varied income surveyed three times september 2003 june 2004 average cost standard market basket based us department agricultures thrifty food plan tfp healthier market basket calculated prices compared using standard ttest determine significantly different analysis conducted 2005in neighborhoods served smaller grocery stores access wholegrain products lowfat cheeses ground meat 10 fat limited among items unavailable 64 small grocery stores 2week shopping list average tfp marketbasket cost 194 healthier marketbasket cost 230 average cost healthier market basket expensive 36 due higher costs whole grains lean ground beef skinless poultry higher cost healthier basket equal 35 40 lowincome consumers food budgets 2410 yearthe lack availability small grocery stores located lowincome neighborhoods higher cost healthier market basket may deterrent eating healthier among lowincome consumers public policies take food environment account order develop successful strategies encourage consumption healthier foods