How the rising cost of food adds up in your grocery cart

It’s been happening for months. You get to the bottom of your grocery cart at the check-out, go to pay and then feel the sting of yet another higher-than-usual total.

Food prices rose 9.7 per cent in May compared to the previous year, matching the rise in April. Just about everything is up from meat to fruits and vegetables to pantry staples like flour and cooking oil — which rose 30 per cent.

Earlier this month, Food Banks Canada released data that suggests nearly one in five Canadians (23 per cent) are “eating less than they believe they should” because of inflation. 

So what exactly