The poorest families with children need to spend 85% of their disposable income to afford a healthy diet, according to an annual report.
Healthier food is nearly twice as expensive per calorie as less healthy alternatives, with foods high in fat, salt and sugar being the only group to have seen a price drop in the last year, the Food Foundation’s Broken Plate report, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, said.
Protein foods saw the largest annual increase in price at 4%, followed by fruit and vegetables at 1.7%.
Meanwhile, fast-food outlets make up a quarter of places to buy food in England, rising to more than one in three in the most deprived areas.
The study found households in the lowest income fifth of the UK population would need to spend 49% of their disposable income to afford the Government-recommended healthy diet, known as the Eatwell Guide – up four percentage points since 2024.
This increases to 85% of disposable income for households with children – a 15 percentage point increase since 2024.
The data was gathered last year before the Middle East conflict broke out, meaning families are set to be under increasing pressure to afford food over the coming months.
Just one in 10 of those aged 11 to 18 eat five portions of fruit and vegetables a day while 95% consume more than the recommended amount of free sugar, according to the National Diet and Nutrition Survey.
The Food Foundation is calling for urgent action, including mandatory reporting by businesses of healthy food sales, a support package for low-income families to afford healthy and sustainable food, including an expansion of Healthy Start, and a Good Food Bill to provide long-term “nutritional security and protection” for consumers and farmers.
Food Foundation executive director Anna Taylor said: “The Broken Plate report reveals that it is becoming increasingly difficult for struggling families to afford and access a healthy diet, despite promises from the Government to create the healthiest generation of children ever and reduce child poverty. This isn’t good enough.
“The Government must press ahead with its commitments made in the NHS 10-Year Plan, including the mandatory reporting of healthy sales by food businesses.”
Barnardo’s chief executive Lynn Perry said: “We know parents are making major sacrifices to ensure their children can eat as well as possible within their budgets.
“However, with the cost of everyday essentials remaining persistently high, healthy food is still out of reach for many families – and those living in poverty often face greater challenges in buying, preparing and accessing good food.
“With prices rising, we call on government to make sure that all children receive the nutrition they need regardless of their circumstances.”
Sonia Pombo, head of research and impact at Action on Salt & Sugar, said: “This new report lays bare the reality facing millions of families in that healthy food is increasingly unaffordable while products high in fat, salt and sugar remain cheap, heavily promoted and far too widely available.
“When households with children on the lowest incomes need to spend 85% of their disposable income to afford a healthy diet, we cannot pretend this is simply about personal choice.”
