Food insecurity continues to be a concern across Windsor-Essex, with a new report showing nearly one in four households are struggling to afford food. The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit’s 2026 Nutritious Food Basket report was approved by the board Thursday afternoon. The report indicates that the weekly cost of groceries for a family of four in Windsor-Essex is now nearly $294 dollars a week, or more than $1,277 a month - an increase of 8.15 per cent compared to 2025. The report also highlighted that 24 per cent of local households experienced food insecurity in 2025, slightly below the provincial rate of 24.3 per cent, and that food insecurity has also increased locally by 6.3 per cent since 2020. The report explains that food insecurity happens when household income isn’t enough to cover basic expenses like rent, utilities, transportation, childcare and medication, and that food is often the first expense that people cut back on or skip altogether. The 2026 Real Cost of Eating Well in Windsor-Essex report finds that a family of four has a total monthly income of $2,989 but pays an estimated $1,238 in monthly rent and $1,277 for food, leaving $473 in monthly income to cover all other expenses. Karen Bellemore, Registered Dietician with the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit, says the rise this year is a big jump. “Everyone is feeling the increase, and it’s not just a problem of people who are on social assistance. We do see a large portion of people who have full-time jobs that are still struggling to be able to purchase food. Food insecurity really starts when that worry begins.” She says skipping meals can lead to mental and physical issues due to lack of nutrients. “You will see those who are food insecure actually visit hospitals at a higher rate. Their stays are longer. They are sicker, it takes longer to heal... and then over time, just those chronic conditions don’t get better because they aren’t able to have the nutrition to heal, and you also have to think about cost and medication, time off work. There’s a lot more that goes into it.” Bellemore says eating what you can afford consistently is best, but says there are cheaper options for families. “Canned and frozen fruits and vegetables, absolutely full of nutrition, especially moving into our winter months. Those are picked up peak nutrient density and then packaged away... so don’t shy away from using that. Beans and lentils, excellent sources of plant-based proteins, they tend to be a little bit cheaper. Look at some of those starches, like pastas and rice, and you can build a complete meal.” The 2026 data has also been shared with Public Health Ontario to help inform its upcoming report on food insecurity and affordability, expected in 2027. Since 1998, Ontario Public Health Standards have required local health units to monitor food affordability through population health assessment and surveillance using the Ontario Nutritious Food Basket tool, which estimates the cost of basic eating based on current nutrition recommendations and average purchasing patterns.
