Weekly food bill up 33 p.c. in a year

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34087, 26 February 1976, Page 6

Weekly food bill up 33 p.c. in a year

Food for the average family now costs almost one-third more than last February.

It now costs from S 9 to $lO a week more to feed a Christchurch family with two school-age children. The department of university extension at the University of Otago has just revised its calculations of ■ weekly food costs in Dunedin. Christchurch costs are estimated to be about $2 to $3 a week higher.

i The department’s cost esti-i I mates are based on average servings at standard retail prices. A fairly typical eating pattern which would meet the 'nutritional needs of thei majority of people was used. A daily meal plan was: Breakfast: cereal and milk;, toast and spreads; milk, and milk beverage. Lunch: cheese, egg, fish, peanut butter; raw vegetable; i or fruit; bread (or ini sandwiches); milk (child-i ren), tea or coffee! (adults). I

' Dinner, meat or fish, potato, or substitute; one or[ more vegetables; simple i pudding or fresh fruit or cheese and crackers. When food habits differ from this pattern the cost of additional or substitute foods should be added to the total ..food cost. For example, allow extra for between meal ! snacks, second portions, or ! entertaining. Standard foods have been I used to calculate the weekly costs — fruits and vegetables (fresh, not processed), breakfast cereal (bar-type, not flaked), and bread, neither wrapped nor sliced. The number and size ofi servings eaten by various age ; groups was used to calculate the following food costs. Weekly food costs for family members: .Adult man, $7.65. Adult woman, $6.55. I Adolescent boy, $8.85. Adolescent girl, $7.70. Child, 10. $6.50. i Child, 5, $4.70. I Child, 4. $4.25. I Child. 1, $2.95.

i, Sample family weekly food ' ; COStS. ■ Business couple. $14.20. : Mother and pre-school child. $9.50. • Mother, father and two pre-' ■ school children. $21.40. ■ Mother, father, and two I school-age children. , $25.40. I Mother, father, and two adolescent children. $30.75. Student flat — four bo vs. ' $30.60. , Student flat — four girls. $26.20. These food costs could be /lowered by purchasing on “special." buying in bulk. . substituting cheaper foods of equivalent nutritive value, preserving seasonal foods.’ and growing fruits and vegetables at home Delicacy or luxury foods,; ; foods purchased out of season, processed foods, and, fully or partially prepared foods all increase the basic weekly food cost. When it is! important to keep food costs! as low as possible it is advis-| able to minimise the use of; ithese foods.