Food costs vary widely in Canada - Heart and Stroke Foundation

Some Canadians are paying between double and nearly six times the average price for healthy foods depending on where in the country they live, according to a report from the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, which puts them at risk for heart disease and other ailments.

The report not only found price discrepancies across the country and within provinces, but also found that many Canadians have difficulty accessing healthy foods at their local grocery store.

Not surprisingly, a survey of more than 1,400 Canadians contained in the report found that 42 per cent occasionally go without a particular type of food because of the cost.

The survey also found that:

• Nearly one-in-five Canadians forgo at least one type of food almost every time they shop because of the cost.
• Almost one-quarter of Canadians have to go without lean meat and poultry, while one in five Canadians have to forgo fruit and vegetables.

"If governments and provinces can regulate the cost of alcohol," the foundation's Dr. Beth Abramson told CTV Newsnet, "surely we should be able to find some way to make sure Canadians have accessibility to healthy food choices."