Shoppers, particularly those with lower incomes, are choosing less expensive items. (Seth Perlman/Associated Press)

If you're like many Canadians, you're probably thinking twice about buying that expensive cut of beef or that $6 brick of cheddar. With food prices rising due to the increased cost of fuel, shoppers are feeling the pinch. Many are opting for lower-priced products, replacing meat with more carbohydrate-based meals and waiting for specials before buying.

Over time, the experts warn, proper nutrition is sure to take a hit, with a higher incidence of obesity-related diseases such as diabetes being reported.

"I don't buy chicken breasts at regular price — I buy them on special," Maria Czarnota, a 68-year-old Toronto resident who retired in 2005, told CBC News. "In the past, I always bought vegetables and fruit at the big stores like Dominion and Sobeys — now I go to the smaller shops."

Czarnota says her friends, many of them seniors who are no longer working, are resorting to the same tactics, as well as eating more meals at home rather than in restaurants and replacing meat with more inexpensive grains like beans and pulses.

"People are definitely looking at alternatives," says Massimo Marcone, a food scientist at the University of Guelph in Guelph, Ont.

"There is anecdotal evidence that prices have gone up between 10 and 20 per cent for foods. People are finding that there are certain costs they can't really make changes on. The only thing that the consumer really has any control over is their spending habits with regards to food."

According to Statistics Canada, prices for staples have shot up in the past year, particularly in the first three months of 2008:

• One litre of homo milk has risen to $2.02 in March 2008 from $1.96 a year earlier.
• 454 grams of butter has increased to $4.25 from $4.12 a year ago.
• One kilo of ground beef has gone up to $5.98 from $5.84.
• One dozen eggs have increased to $2.50 from $2.44.
• 500 grams of macaroni has increased to $1.32 from $1.02 .
• One litre of orange juice has gone up to $3.73 from $3.66.
• 675 grams of bread has surged to $2.32 from $2.03.
• One litre of cooking or salad oil has increased to $3.62 from $3.40.

The new shopping list

As a result, shoppers, particularly those with lower incomes, are choosing less expensive items. "Discretionary income is shrinking," says Joanne Hamilton, a registered dietician in Winnipeg. She says many people are beginning to make tough decisions like forgoing higher-quality whole-grain breads for nutritionally-poor white breads.

They're also selecting cereals with higher sugar content and skipping the more expensive fibre-rich brands and wholesome cereals like steel-cut oats.

High-cost dairy products are being passed over in favour of inexpensive sugar-laden soda drinks and beverages like Kool-Aid, says Hamilton.

Many also turn to sugary canned fruit and sodium-rich veggies instead of fresh produce — choices that can dramatically increase sugar and salt consumption.

Convenience foods are also popular when things get tight. Macdonald says many people will opt for a can of prepared stew, which can be high in fat and calories, rather than make the stew themselves using high-quality ingredients.

On the meat front, Marcone says many shoppers select poorer cuts, opt for ground beef instead of turkey and choose nutritionally-poor hot dogs over hamburger.

Less expensive, less nutritious food that is imported from Asia is another hot seller, says Marcone — a potentially risky proposition when it comes to health. He says these types of foods are not subject to the same regulations as products made in Canada.

Type II diabetes can be triggered by a high-fat, high-sugar diet if there's an underlying genetic predisposition. (Mei Evans/Associated Press)"They don't follow our standards in many cases," he says, adding that a $1 container of peanut butter at the dollar store could harbour certain toxins that would be caught during screening in Canada.

"Here in North America, peanuts are checked for aflatoxins and there are only so many parts per billion that you're allowed, because they cause cancer," says Marcone. "Those coming from places like India and China: are they really being tested to the same extent?

"This is what starts to become a big concern," he says. "In the long run, it can lead to medical problems, which end up affecting the economy."

Those conditions can include obesity; Type II diabetes, which can be triggered by a high-fat, high-sugar diet if there's an underlying genetic predisposition; and heart disease, caused by an artery-clogging, high-fat, high-calorie diet.

More than two million Canadians have diabetes. By the end of the decade, this number is expected to rise to three million, according to the Canadian Diabetes Association.

And Canadians' waistlines are growing. According to the 2004 Canadian Community Health Survey, 23.1 per cent of Canadians aged 18 or older — an estimated 5.5 million adults — have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more, indicating that they are obese.

Be shopping savvy

To stave off health problems, smart shopping is a must, say health experts. The best way to begin your weekly shop is to be armed with a list, advises Hamilton. That way, straying from the staples will be less tempting.

One way to save money is to buy in season, says Marcone. That reduces fuel costs, as the food is produced locally — not imported from other countries — and leads to lower prices at the supermarket.

When fruit and vegetables aren't in season, canned versions can be a good alternative, though Hamilton advises people rinse fruit of sugary syrup and canned vegetables of excess sodium.

She says frozen fruit and veggies can also be a great option, particularly in the winter months when these products are at a premium. But Hamilton concedes that freezer space will dictate how much a financially-strapped consumer can buy.

'There are going to be health concerns if this continues.'—Massimo Marcone, food scientist

Buying in bulk is also a good cost-saving measure. Hamilton suggests buying larger quantities —such as extra large bags of pasta — and cooking up big pots of chilli, spaghetti sauce or stew and then freezing these meals in smaller portions for the week.

She also advocates more creativity with carbohydrates, relaying less on expensive bread and pasta, and integrating more barley, oats and grains like quinoa into meals.

Canadians' waistlines are growing: 23.1 per cent of Canadians aged 18 or older, an estimated 5.5 million adults, are obese. (Toby Talbot/Associated Press)Beans and pulses are also great protein sources that are much lower in price than traditional protein choices like meat and cheese.

Another option is to be on the lookout for specials, and for store promotions, says Hamilton. "If a good quality cereal goes on sale, buy two or three." The same goes for lean cuts of beef, turkey or chicken.

Marcone advises consumers be cognizant of how they store the food they buy. Many vegetables need to be stored separately, as they can affect one another's spoilage rates. For example, he says, apples give off ethylene, which can wilt lettuce faster.

To prevent this, fruit should be stored separately from vegetables, thus prolonging their shelf life.

Organic food: a good choice?

Though organic food has traditionally been seen as a more elitist choice with its attendant high prices, that could change as regular food prices catch up. As organic food is often produced locally, the costs of producing it are lower, leading to potential savings at the supermarket.

Sales of organic food are booming, with a growth rate of 20 per cent per year, according to the Organic Trade Association of Canada. As prices of regular foods begin to match those of organic products, people will take notice of them, says Marcone.

According to Maria Charvat, vice-president of product development, control label brands with Loblaw Companies Ltd. in Toronto, organic foods are decidedly increasing in popularity.

"Our organic line of products is one of the largest in Canada and one of the fastest growing areas of the President's Choice brand. As consumers learn more about the benefits of buying and using organic, we are seeing tremendous demand — and when we are able to bring the price down to what national brands charge, consumers have reacted very positively."

Cost will likely be the determining factor in whether organics take off. "If it's accessible, people may stop and think about changing their diet," says Stephanie Wells, Canada liaison for the Organic Trade Association, in Hornby Island, B.C. And that could mean healthier eating for a lot of Canadian families.

In the meantime, with no end in sight to the rising fuel and food costs, some are calling on Ottawa to step in and take action. "The government needs to do a lot more with regards to fuel costs," says Marcone. "There are going to be health concerns if this continues."

Hamilton agrees. "I find it really interesting that we're just not that concerned about food security."