A breakdown of the average Canadian grocery bill—And what might be in the cart (Part 2)

(Note: This article is the second in a two-part series on changing household food expenditures.)

Last week, we discussed in further detail four of the eight main categories of food purchased from stores and how these expenditures changed from 2021 to 2023, as tracked by the Survey of Household Spending. In this article, let’s have a look at the remaining four categories.

Chart 1: Food purchased from stores, 2023 (% change from 2021)

Spending up on most vegetables and more evenly distributed than in other categories

In 2023, the average expenditure of $779 (+3.0% from 2021) on fresh vegetables mirrored what was spent on fresh fruit and was the main contributor to the $1,031 spent on vegetables and vegetable preparations.

Spending on tomatoes ($93; +2.2%) topped all others, followed by spending on onions ($76; +10.1%), peppers ($68; -2.9%), lettuce ($60; +13.2) and potatoes ($57; +7.5%). Spending on various types of other vegetables was unchanged, at $212.

Households spent more on canned vegetables and other vegetable preparations ($155; +14.8%) and frozen and dried vegetables ($97; +27.6%), an indication of the ongoing need for meals in a pinch.

Households also felt a pinch in the wallet in 2023, paying higher prices for fresh vegetables (+17.1%) and preserved vegetables and vegetable preparations (+22.4%) than they did in 2021.

Pricier pastry, bread drive an increase in spending on bakery products

Canadian households spent an average of $861 on bakery products in 2023 (+23.4% from 2021)—mainly attributable to ready-to-eat pastry (except frozen) ($236, +49.4%) and bread ($224, +31.0%)—giving this category the highest spending increase among them all.

Consumer prices for bakery products increased at the same rate as household spending (+23.4%) from 2021 to 2023. In addition to global supply chain issues, growing conditions in western Canada in 2021 contributed to lower production for wheat and other major field crops. By December 31, 2022, stocks on Canadian farms were up due to higher production that year.

A staple in most diets, bread remained among the highest expenditures on a single product or product type in 2023, despite the sticker shock.

Spending on unsweetened rolls and buns ($116; -7.9%) decreased, as did spending on a variety of frozen bakery products such as pies.

More spending on rice, pasta, breakfast cereal, cookies, crackers

Households spent an average of $523 on cereal grains and other cereal products in 2023, up 12.7% from 2021.

Higher expenditures in 2023 included pasta products ($95; +37.7%) and rice and rice mixes ($92; +21.0%). Spending on breakfast cereal and other grain products (except infant) increased to $298, though at a much slower pace (+5.3%).

Prices for pasta products, which faced similar upward price pressures as bread and other grain products, rose by 35.3% from 2021 to 2023.

Seafood spending dips underwater

At $270 in 2023, average fish and seafood expenditures were down 11.5% from 2021 and continued to make up the smallest share of the average food purchased from stores. 

Salmon ($43; -27.1%) drove the decline in the fish and seafood category. Already an expensive protein option compared with chicken or pork, the average per-kilogram price of salmon ran as high as $29.10 in March 2023.

Expenditures on canned salmon and tuna were also down in 2023, as well as for seafood and marine products such as shellfish.

Overall, Canadians paid higher prices for fish (+14.6%) and seafood and other marine products (+4.9%) in 2023 than they did in 2021.

Food Day Canada

Whatever you might be picking up at the grocery store, there’s a special day for Canadian foodies to celebrate next month.

August 3 is Food Day Canada, which engages and inspires everyone to shop, cook and dine Canadian. The day was originally created as the “World’s Longest Barbecue” by longtime Canadian food advocate Anita Stewart, her family and a number of pioneering supporters to show support for Canada’s beef ranchers and farmers.

Stewart, who passed away in 2020, became a member of the Order of Canada in 2012. In 2023, Parliament officially recognized Food Day Canada in its 20th year.