The prices pre- and post- pandemic are undeniably higher for staples. I used to pay $4.99/lb of ground beef at regular sticker prices at Trader Joes, Whole Foods, etc. back in 2019. Those same offerings are consistently $5.99+.
To some it's certainly a small increase, but I see similar impacts across other products as well, and it all adds up. For example, Kerrygold butter used to go for $5.99 and now regularly goes for $7.99. Almond Milk used to be $3.99 ($2.79 on sale), and now routinely goes for $5. Most Cold Brew products I purchase have gone from $5.99 to $6.99 or $7.99. And Cream Cheese is one of the worst - 2 bars of Philadelphia Cream Cheese used to be $6 and now regularly sell for $9 - $10.
It's everywhere. I'm in NYC / LA, so might be different elsewhere (I'm sure these prices look insane to most people outside of cities).
The most expensive beef I buy is prime top sirloin steaks at costco for $9-10/lb and ribeye roasts (that I cut up into steaks) at the local halaal market are $8/lb or less. Tenderloins for kebabs and filet mignon is $6-8/lb at Ranch 99 or Shun Fat. The most expensive chicken I get is Costco tenderloins for chicken tenders that sometimes rise to $7/lb but otherwise chicken breast is $3.5/lb or less. The oxtails and neckbone for good beef stock are more expensive than most of the meat I usually eat!
I suspect I'm just really privileged and don't know the meaning of a food desert. The number of ethnic grocery stores here in SoCal guarantees that it's easy to find a cheap source for every ingredient imaginable. The key is to shop there and not at the big names like Safeway, Vons, Ralphs, Albertsons, etc.
Unit prices have gone up for processed foods, core protein and vegetables considerably and, in many cases, the quality has decreased.
The additional flavor makes food seem more filling, and isn't expensive. Also: potatoes.
Convenient junk food is quite expensive compared to “real food” like meat, uncooked pasta, fruits, vegetable, etc which are healthy but require some preparation.
The argument then goes: “well, ok, but poor people don’t have time to cook”. Which again rings false. The poor people I’ve known have an abundance of time and are not working 3-4 jobs to make ends meet.
And prep is easy, I guess my tastes are simple - beef, eggs, salt maybe a litle hot sauce. I can cook 3 pounds of ground beef and add about 10-12 eggs in a 12" fry pan and have 3-6 meals in containers in about 45 minutes.
I have some food allergies and cook everything from scratch at home so I know it can be cheap to cook yourself but there are some processed foods that are just cheap for the calories especially things on sale.
Other factors like limited transportation and space in a backpack or bag to carry home can make bulk savings harder.
Yeah you can eat rice and beans for cheap, but that’s not really a completely nutritious diet. I’ve eaten it a lot!
This is by definition not scalable, so your experience has nothing to do with the experience of typical families.
What about 5 years ago?
Maybe olive oil prices have gone up and some others or lots of packaged and processed foods. But from a PRICE PER NUTRITION standpoint (real food like beef, eggs, etc), I dont find food costs all that bad.
Price per calories for junk processed foods like snacks and juices is a different argument I guess.
I will also add when times are tough you can quit spending money entirely on carbohydrates. Your body cant produce fats or proteins but It can produce all the glucose it needs endogenously. You can supply yourself fats and proteins your liver will take care of making glucose just fine.