The poorest families with children must allocate 85% of their disposable income to afford a healthy diet, according to the Food Foundation's annual Broken Plate report, funded by the Nuffield Foundation. The study reveals that healthier food is nearly twice as expensive per calorie compared to less healthy alternatives, with foods high in fat, salt, and sugar being the only category to see a price decrease over the past year.
Key findings on food prices
Protein foods experienced the largest annual price increase at 4%, followed by fruit and vegetables at 1.7%. Meanwhile, fast-food outlets now constitute a quarter of all food purchasing locations in England, rising to over one-third in the most deprived areas.
Households in the lowest income fifth of the UK population would need to spend 49% of their disposable income to afford the government-recommended healthy diet, known as the Eatwell Guide—a four percentage point increase since 2024. For households with children, this figure jumps to 85%, a 15 percentage point rise since 2024.
Impact on children and young people
The National Diet and Nutrition Survey indicates that only one in ten individuals aged 11 to 18 consumes five portions of fruit and vegetables daily, while 95% exceed the recommended intake of free sugar. The data was collected before the Middle East conflict, suggesting families will face even greater pressure on food affordability in the coming months.
The Food Foundation is urging immediate action, including mandatory reporting by businesses on healthy food sales, a support package for low-income families to access healthy and sustainable food—such as expanding the Healthy Start program—and a Good Food Bill to ensure long-term nutritional security for consumers and farmers.
Expert reactions
Anna Taylor, executive director of the Food Foundation, stated: “The Broken Plate report reveals that it is becoming increasingly difficult for struggling families to afford and access a healthy diet, despite promises from the Government to create the healthiest generation of children ever and reduce child poverty. This isn’t good enough. The Government must press ahead with its commitments made in the NHS 10-Year Plan, including the mandatory reporting of healthy sales by food businesses.”
Lynn Perry, chief executive of Barnardo’s, commented: “We know parents are making major sacrifices to ensure their children can eat as well as possible within their budgets. However, with the cost of everyday essentials remaining persistently high, healthy food is still out of reach for many families—and those living in poverty often face greater challenges in buying, preparing, and accessing good food. With prices rising, we call on government to make sure that all children receive the nutrition they need regardless of their circumstances.”
Sonia Pombo, head of research and impact at Action on Salt & Sugar, added: “This new report lays bare the reality facing millions of families in that healthy food is increasingly unaffordable while products high in fat, salt, and sugar remain cheap, heavily promoted, and far too widely available. When households with children on the lowest incomes need to spend 85% of their disposable income to afford a healthy diet, we cannot pretend this is simply about personal choice.”
