A basket of healthy food costs 8% more this year, a new report finds. Here's how Windsorites are coping with the growing

A new report shows that prices for nutritious food in Windsor-Essex are up about 8%. It's part of something called the 2026 Ontario Nutritious Food Basket, comparing food costs to last year. For a family of four, the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit says it'll cost just under $300 a week to buy groceries based on nutrition recommendations. That's more than $1,200 per month. The report supports the financial pressures lots of people here are feeling. We're looking all over. Where is the deal? Where is the good prices? Where is the good food too? We can't buy only junk food to save money. That will hurt our health. Absolutely. I'm just choosing the stores. Of course. Depending on what I want to buy, for example, certain things are cheaper in Walmart, certain things are cheaper here in Food Basics. I have a family, my member of family is like a six person. Sometimes we go to the food bank or something like this, because all times I can't come to the store. This is an issue. Means that I will go to the food bank three times in a month. We're looking for a cheaper one everywhere, but it's not good quality. I am diabetic and I have high blood pressure, but I still eat anything cheaper, so I cannot buy the expensive food. You really have to tighten your belt nowadays. You have to buy only all those that you really needed. As a senior citizen, you really have to have that option of getting the best food for you to survive. It's very expensive. I swear I go, I can't buy nothing. Especially vegetables, chicken, meat, I don't buy. The Provincial Nutritious Food Basket is a list of 61 food items, including fruits and veggies, proteins, and grains.