What it costs to eat

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32540, 25 February 1971, Page 7

What it costs to eat

Many housewives want to know how their food costs compare with others, but because no two families eat exactly alike, it is difficult to arrive at a figure which would apply in all cases. To provide them with some basis for assessing their food costs, the university extension department at the University of Otago has taken a fairly typical eating pattern and counted the cost of the foods used in a week’s' meals. From this, it is possible to calculate expenses for individual I families.

The following is the daily Food pattern:

Breakfast: cereal and milk, toast and spreads, milk or a milky beverage. Lunch: cheese, egg, fish, peanut butter; with bread or in sandwiches; raw fruit or vegetables. Milk for children, and a beverage for adults. Dinner: meat or fish, potato, and one or more vegetables; a simple milk pudding, or biscuits and cheese. NUTRITIONAL NEEDS Meals based on this pattern meet the nutritional needs of normal persons. Extra foods may be needed by very active persons .also for co< king and for snacks and ; social occasions. Where food habits differ from the pattern given the cost of the additional or substitute foods should be added Ito the amount shown in the i table above.

: The milk intake for most I adults may be halved, but i elderly persons should plan Ito spend the amount shown.

Less bread will be eaten by some adults and adolescents. The price given is for standard square-pan white loaves. Other breads may most mort.

The butter allows for spreading and cooking, but not for baking.

Amounts of jam and spreads depend on the amount of bread used. Sundries include cooking and baking supplies, e.g. seasonings, spices, vinegar, gelatine, and baking powder.

Extras should be allowed for. Work these out on a I weekly basis, according toi I the number in a family. ' Allow 5c for each 3oz serving of orange juice, 4c for each additional egg used; 5c

for each one ounce rasher of bacon bought;; twice the stated amount of flake cereals replace bar-type breakfast cereals; 20-30 c for each packet of biscuits used weekly, according to type; 15-20 c for a fruit and nut loaf, homemade (use actual price if bought); 25-30 c for an iced butter sponge made at home; 40-50 C for a light fruit cake, home-made. Other baking costs can be calculated from the recipes. It will be clear that food costs will increase markedly as children grow in number and age. The most expensive stage for any family is adolescence. For example, a family of five with three teenage boys could spend more than $22 weekly on essential foods, with no allowance for snacks or other extras.