Last revised: December 16, 2022
Monitoring food affordability in Ottawa
The Nutritious Food Basket (NFB) is a monitoring tool used to measure the minimum cost of healthy eating for individuals and families in Canada. Ontario derives its own NFB survey to support consistent data collection at a local level. Each year Ottawa Public Health conducts the NFB survey. The survey measures the cost of basic healthy eating and is used to monitor the affordability and accessibility of healthy foods in Ottawa. Ottawa Public Health and most other Ontario public health units paused the Nutritious Food Basket data collection in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic.
Download the 2022 Nutritious Food Basket Infographic (pdf - 9 MB)
Download the 2022 Nutritious Food Basket and Food Insecurity in Ottawa Report (pdf - 889 KB).
How is the NFB calculated?
The cost of the NFB is calculated using the average lowest cost of 61 food items and their quantities needed for individuals in various age and sex groups. These foods were chosen based on Canada’s Food Guide and reflect Canadian eating and purchasing patterns. Foods included in NFB belong to these main categories: vegetables and fruits, protein foods, whole grains, and fats and oils. Non-food items, personal care items, foods needed for special diets, processed/convenience foods and food eaten outside the home are not included (e.g., toilet paper, soap, diapers, clothing, medications, infant formula, gluten free foods, restaurant foods).
2022 Nutritious Food Basket | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
a All numbers are rounded to the nearest whole number. |
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2022 Income scenarios in Ottawa | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Annually, the local cost of the Nutritious Food Basket (NFB) and rent are compared with household income from social assistance or minimum wage work to assess whether income from these sources is adequate to cover the cost of these basic necessities. The results of the NFB survey show that low-income households struggle to afford their bills while also putting healthy food on the table. Families often choose between paying for fixed expenses (such as rent, transportation, and heat) and buying groceries.
c The Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care has provided the income for the scenarios. These include benefits and credits.
Please note that the Information Previously Distributed, published on October 26, 2022, in advance of the November Ottawa Board of Health meeting, contains Nutritious Food Basket income scenario data that did not account for household size adjustment factors [Scenarios 4-8]. The data provided on this website and in the 2022 Nutritious Food Basket and Food Insecurity in Ottawa report includes the correct information. |
Food Insecurity in Ottawa
Food insecurity refers to the inadequate or insecure access to food due to a lack of money (1). Food insecurity ranges in severity from being worried about running out of food to not being able to afford a balanced diet to going hungry.
Negative health impacts of food insecurity |
Food insecurity is a problem that goes beyond an issue of food and its impact on health goes beyond diet and nutrition. People living in food insecure households are much more likely than others to be diagnosed with mental health disorders (such as depression and anxiety), chronic diseases (such as high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes) and infections (2 to 11). People who are food insecure are more likely to be diagnosed with more than one chronic condition and are less able to manage chronic conditions as they may struggle to adhere to therapeutic diets and afford medications (5, 12, 13).
Because of its harmful effects on health, household food insecurity places a large burden on the health care system (14). |
Food insecurity in Ottawa and Ontario |
Food insecurity continues to persist in Ottawa. Three year combined estimates from the 2018, 2019 and 2020 Canadian Income Survey's indicate that 1 in 8 households (13.3 per cent) in Ottawa are food insecure (15). Ontario food insecurity data from the 2021 Canadian Income Survey suggests that:
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Populations most affected by food insecurity |
Statistics from the 2021 Canadian Income Survey include data from the ten provinces but excludes the three territories. The following types of Canadian households disproportionately experience food insecurity:
Food insecurity disproportionately affects racialized (non-white) and Indigenous Peoples in Canada. 2021 data from households in the 10 provinces indicates that:
Due to historical and ongoing colonization and systemic racism, Indigenous Peoples are more likely to experience household food insecurity than any other racial or cultural group in Canada (17). |
How to take action |
Access to food is a basic human right. Collective efforts to implement long-term, income-based strategies that address poverty, the root cause of food insecurity, are needed to help solve this issue.
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To learn more |
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Community resources |
If you or someone you know is experiencing food insecurity, here are some resources that can help you and your family:
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Healthy food donations |
People who cannot afford to buy healthy food suffer from diseases related to poor diet – high blood pressure, heart disease, high cholesterol and diabetes. Foods that are high in fibre, vitamins and minerals, low in sodium, sugar and saturated fats are the best options for food donations. Find out more about...
Why healthy foods matterHealthy food donations provide essential nutrients to help:
Food donations to food banks or meal programsPlease donate fresh produce and perishables directly to food banks or meal programs. DO NOT place in donation bins:
Food donations to donation binsThese foods are suitable for donation bins in grocery stores, food drives, etc.
Foods NOT to donateMany donated foods are not suitable and may be thrown out:
Donating hot meals, fresh sandwiches or baked goodWhen donating these food items, follow Ottawa Public Health’s “Tips for preparing food” to kill or reduce the number of food poisoning bacteria that may be present in the foods you donate. Resource: Ministry of Health Healthy Food Donation Poster |
References |
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