Is Price a Barrier to Eating More Fruits and Vegetables for Low-Income Families?

ObjectiveTo determine if price is a barrier to fruit and vegetable consumption for low-income families by comparing the average cost of a market basket of fruits and vegetables from the Thrifty Food Plan and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005 (2005 Dietary Guidelines), investigating variations in price by neighborhood income and by type of supermarket, and estimating the influence of a 2005 Dietary Guidelines fruit and vegetable basket on the food budget of a low-income family.DesignA market basket survey was conducted at 25 supermarkets across three time periods to allow for seasonal variation in produce prices.SettingStores were selected from census tracts with a variety of income levels in Sacramento, CA, and Los Angeles, CA.Main outcome measuresThe average cost of a Thrifty Food Plan and 2005 Dietary Guidelines market basket for fruits and vegetables.Statistical analyses performedStudent t tests were used to compare the mean cost of market baskets.ResultsThe 2005 Dietary Guidelines market basket cost 4% less than the Thrifty Food Plan (P<0.001), and was significantly less expensive in low-income areas at $65 (P<0.05), and in bulk supermarkets at $59 (P<0.05). The 2005 Dietary Guidelines market basket would require a low-income family to devote 43% to 70% of their food budget to fruits and vegetables.ConclusionsPublic policies should examine ways to make fruits and vegetables more affordable to low-income families.