The Common Front for Social Justice has found that healthy food in New Brunswick is too expensive and anyone living on a low-income can’t afford to buy all of the nutritious foods recommended by Health Canada.
A recent survey has found that Sobeys generally has the lowest prices for the 67 items in a nutritious food basket and prices overall tend to be considerably higher in the northern part of the province compared to the south.
Spokesperson Johanne Petitpas says eating healthy is out of reach for individuals or families who receive social assistance or for those who work for minimum wage.
A healthy food basket containing 67 items as recommended by Health Canada costs almost $300 per month for a single man, just under $470 for a mother and child and more than $830 for a family of four.
The Common Front has made several recommendations to make improvements including raising social assistance rates, increasing the minimum wage and putting a provincial tax on junk food.
