Healthier food grows more expensive at twice the rate of unhealthy options
Healthier food grows more expensive at twice the rate of unhealthy options
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Healthier options now cost more than double per calorie compared to less healthy alternatives. The cost of healthy eating in the UK has soared, outpacing price increases for less nutritious food, according to a new report. The Food Foundation's annual Broken Plate report reveals that healthier options, lower in fat, salt, and sugar, now cost more than double per calorie compared to less healthy alternatives.
![[More than a third (36 per cent) of food and soft drink advertising spending is on confectionery, snacks, deserts and soft drinks]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/28/16/23/01JJPNS3P2R00FKBBCAWRX33AB.jpeg)
This disparity has grown over the past two years, exacerbating the challenge of maintaining a healthy diet, particularly for low-income families. The report highlights the significant financial burden of following government dietary recommendations. For the most deprived 20 per cent of the population, achieving a healthy diet would require a staggering 45 per cent of their disposable income.
This figure jumps to 70 per cent for families with children in the same income bracket. While this represents a slight decrease from the peak of the cost-of-living crisis in 2021-22, when this figure reached 50 per cent, it remains higher than the 43 per cent recorded the previous year.
Further compounding the issue, the report found that supermarket promotions disproportionately favor unhealthy items. Over a third (37 per cent) of promotions on food and non-alcoholic drinks are for less healthy options. Access to healthy food is also a concern, with fast-food outlets accounting for a quarter (26 per cent) of all food retailers in England. This rises to almost one in three in the most deprived areas, further limiting access to affordable, nutritious food.
