Pensioners turn to plant-based diets as food prices soar
Wednesday, 16 February 2022
Older Kiwis are going without meat and their usual staple foods and instead turning to plant-based alternatives as food prices soar in their highest annual increase in a decade.
Food prices have spiked to a 6 per cent increase year-on-year, according to Stats NZ, with the largest monthly increase in five years of 2.7 per cent in January.
Canterbury’s foodbank supplier is unable to meet the full demand of agencies feeding those on the breadline, and community workers are concerned about the older population who are less likely to seek help.
Staple foods like dairy and meat have become out of reach for many, and older shoppers are being taught to branch out to new alternatives like legumes.
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On an annual basis, food prices were 5.9 per cent higher in January than last year – the biggest annual increase since August 2011.
Fruit and vegetable prices were 15 per cent higher last month than in January 2021, most markedly in tomatoes, broccoli, lettuce, apples and kiwifruit.
Meat, poultry, and fish prices rose 3.6 percent.
Canterbury pensioner Tony, 79, said he had to “shop around a little more carefully”, comparing prices per weight, and avoiding overpriced items as superannuation failed to keep up with inflation.
“I’m getting cunning, put it that way.”
After previously living off a lot of beef casseroles, Tony has instead turned to chicken, fish, and fruit – apart from kiwifruit, which is “too expensive” – and vegetables instead.
“Meat at $50 a kilo is just bloody ridiculous. And I think the producer gets just under $7 a kilo for beef at the moment.”
Foodbank Canterbury chief executive officer John Milligan said the elderly population was becoming agencies’ biggest food security concern, “because they don’t put their hands up and say, ‘help’”.
The issue would only get worse as winter hit due to rising power bills, he said, with the cost of living and accommodation rising too.
Food insecurity was an issue right across all of society, with demand climbing every week, often for basic staple foods, Milligan said.
Foodbank Canterbury was “stopping the rumbling tummies”, but still unable to meet about 30 per cent of demand, with its beneficiary agencies regularly asking for more.
It supplies agencies with five tonnes a day – or enough to provide 264,000 meals a month.
The organisation has had to buy far more food than in the last two to three years to supplement what it received in donations.
Even with buying power to get wholesale prices, they were getting far less for the dollar than they used to.
Shortages of some foods like rice also meant they were unable to buy the amount they needed, as suppliers struggled to meet the needs of supermarkets too.
Omicron was also creating staff shortages in the food supply sector, he said.
“I wouldn't say we’re at the critical stage yet, but we’re watching things very, very closely.”
Age Concern Canterbury chief executive Simon Templeton said every time costs rose, it was tough on those on a limited superannuation budget.
“It’s pretty constant when you’ve got no way to supplement that income.”
Karen Ogg teaches older Linwood residents how to shop, budget and cook, while giving them important social interaction to combat loneliness.
She said they had definitely been feeling the pinch of rising food costs, particularly those living alone on a fixed income.
Eating on a tight budget came naturally to those in the 90-plus age group who remember the hardships of wartime rations, Ogg said, but it was important to re-educate those in younger age groups.
Many staples like dairy and meat were suddenly out of their price range, but using alternative sources of protein like legumes was an adjustment.
“They want to learn, but they don’t know where to start. They’re kind of grateful for finding a way to save.”
Her tips for them include:
Shop seasonally
Look for the cheaper brands on the bottom shelf
Eat a more plant-based diet, using cheaper and healthier protein options like legumes, with plenty of meat-free meals
Buy cheaper meat in bulk and separate into portions for the freezer
Buy canned fruit when fresh prices are too high
Add lentils and beans to a meal to stretch it into more portions
Soups full of vegetables left in the fridge are a good healthy and filling option