The cost-of-living crisis in the UK is leaving families with no choice but to eat more processed meals in a bid to save money, latest evidence has revealed.
With the price of nutritious foods significantly increasing, families are buying more unhealthy foods and ready meals in an attempt to keep their living costs down.
Results from the BBC Good Food Nation survey show that nearly 30% of respondents have reduced their intake of healthy meals due to the staggering costs of nutritious foods.
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During the trial, the team of researchers looked at the food intake of 2,013 individuals across the UK.
They discovered that nearly 20% of the participants are consuming more processed foods and ready meals because they cost less than nutritious foods.
In addition, they have found that more than 15% of the participants have reduced how often they cook a meal from scratch.
According to the results, a total of 16% of the participants have stopped buying organic foods, while 12% have reduced their protein intake.
Approximately 15% of the respondents are also now taking a packed lunch to work rather than buying food out, the study has reported.
More than 25% of the participants have also changed which supermarket they shop in, the research has revealed.
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The editor-in-chief of BBC Good Food, Christine Hayes, said: “The survey shows that we consider ourselves a nation of healthy eaters and we care about what we eat. However, rising costs have impacted choices and compromises have had to be made with people buying more processed food and ready meals and swapping supermarkets to save money.”
The head of food policy at Which?, Sue Davies said: “These findings echo our own research findings that many people are finding it more difficult to eat healthily as millions struggle with increased food prices and other high household bills.
“Supermarkets have an important role supporting people through this crisis. This includes helping customers who rely on more expensive convenience stores by ensuring they stock a range of budget products that enable people to have a healthy diet.”
