Readers Respond: Are You Concerned About Rising Food Costs?

Small fluctuations in the cost of staples, vegetables, fish and meat greatly affect what many Moroccans can afford to eat. The price of potatoes in Morocco, for example, has recently jumped from 4 to 9 dirhams per kilogram.

Are rising food costs affecting the way your family eats? Share what food prices are like in your area, and whether your family has changed its eating as a result.

Prices Hiking in Israel too

Also here, potatoes used to be affordable. As I am from Europe, I like to have boiled potatoes with most meals. That has had to change. I now have to view potatoes as another meal, not a side any more! We can have it maybe once a week. All diary products are expensive in Israel, milk, cheese, yogurt. Many people buy them anyway, because many traditional meals include them, but I have had to use much less and much less often than before. The same goes for meat. And fruit. I have had to substitute meat with hummus and fruit with vegetables. And even vegetables are not cheap any more! Canned food used to be cheap, but it is not any longer. I buy on sales and stock up. That's how my family survives. We can find flour, rice, pasta and cans on sales sometimes. I add a small amount of chicken to it, as this is the cheapest meat available, and there is sale on less popular chicken parts at times. I buy small amounts of fresh vegetables that freeze well, dice them and use a little/a time

—Guest Helene

I agree

Food costs in the U.S. have skyrocketed as well. For 500 dollars a month I used to be able to buy at least a months worth of food! I have had to cut back everything we normally buy, buying less meat, eating more veggies (which isnt a bad thing) and overall trying to make sure that my family still eats healthy, and we still get some good food. I had to stop splurging on certain foods and either go with cheaper brands, or go entirely without.

—Guest Chrissy

vegetables used to be the cheap

It used to be that buying vegetables in Morocco was the cheapest thing but the prices have risen so much. I have had to cut back on how many kilos I buy. And resorted to using cheaper vegetables I didnt use before.

—casamamma

Yikes!

Seems like everything is more expensive. I've cut back on higher-priced things like cheeses and meats - using smaller amounts less often. I'm also *way* more aware of things like making use of stale bread (soups, croutons, etc.) and trying, in general, to keep less food in the house to make sure we use what we buy. That's not such a bad thing, really. :)

—localfoods

Eevrything is taking a hike

It seems that every food cost is taking a huge hike just now. Overall food prices in the UK have risen over 10% across the board. It makes it difficult all round.

—Guest elainelemm

Potatoes Used To Be Cheap

Potatoes and dumplings (flour) used to be the cheap way to eat for Eastern Europeans. But now, rising prices of flour and potatoes are making that a thing of the past. I'm just watching the sales and curbing impulse buying.

—Barb.Rolek