Believe it or not, Individuals spend less on food than the majority of their alternatives in developed nations. Though less is spent all around, more is being used on processed foods and sweets than on more nutritious fare.
Spending a lot less
The typical family of four with pets will find it difficult to get by with a $50,000 a year income, and that is the average in the country. There is good news. Compared to other developed countries, we are really spending a lot less on food.
Compared with other countries, the U.S. is not looking too bad since the typical British family spends 9 percent of the annual outlay on food and the typical French family will spend 14 percent. Mother Jones points out that Individuals only spent six percent of the $32,051 annual outlay for 2009. That adds up to $6,372 total on food for the year: $3,753 for food in the home and $2,619 for food away from the home.
The cost of food in America decreasing for the past 30 years is the biggest reason, according to the NPR article.
Michelle's thoughts
Recent Bureau of Labor Statistics data indicates annual household expenditures on food have ticked up to around 8 percent of annual outlays. However, that is drastically less than the typical household in 1982, when food spending was closer to 13 percent.
During that time, the cost of most food groups has dropped; in some cases considerably. For instance, the cost of steak has dropped 30 percent, from $7 per pound in 1982 to $4.90 per pound in 2012. No meats have gone up in price. Only one fruit and one vegetable increased in price in that time, those being grapefruit and bell peppers, the costs of which increased by 6.5 percent and 34 percent, respectively.
You can certainly see changes in what people are spending most of their cash on now in contrast to 1982 though. Now, people spend about 21.5 percent of the budget on meats when it used to be 31.3 percent. Now, people spend 22.9 percent on processed foods and sweets when people used to spend 11.6 percent. Fruits and vegetable expenditures have stayed almost the same though since they are now at 14.6 percent and they used to be 14.5 percent. Michelle Obama's plan to help children get healthier is well justified when you consider these statistics.
Subsidies do it
From 1995 to 2010, the agriculture industry has received $261.9 billion in subsidies. The amount of corn produced manufactured in America increased from 4 billion bushels to 12 billion bushels in that time. This is part of why we are paying less for groceries, according to Mother Jones.
The price of meat went up 8 percent in 2011, and the price of grain doubled. This just shows that costs are beginning to go up, according to Forbes.
Only about 15.8 percent of the money brought in from selling food goes to the farmer who produced it, which means farmers do not benefit from the low prices, according to the Department of Agriculture. The Daily Green points out that this means farmers need higher prices.
Spending a lot less
The typical family of four with pets will find it difficult to get by with a $50,000 a year income, and that is the average in the country. There is good news. Compared to other developed countries, we are really spending a lot less on food.
Compared with other countries, the U.S. is not looking too bad since the typical British family spends 9 percent of the annual outlay on food and the typical French family will spend 14 percent. Mother Jones points out that Individuals only spent six percent of the $32,051 annual outlay for 2009. That adds up to $6,372 total on food for the year: $3,753 for food in the home and $2,619 for food away from the home.
The cost of food in America decreasing for the past 30 years is the biggest reason, according to the NPR article.
Michelle's thoughts
Recent Bureau of Labor Statistics data indicates annual household expenditures on food have ticked up to around 8 percent of annual outlays. However, that is drastically less than the typical household in 1982, when food spending was closer to 13 percent.
During that time, the cost of most food groups has dropped; in some cases considerably. For instance, the cost of steak has dropped 30 percent, from $7 per pound in 1982 to $4.90 per pound in 2012. No meats have gone up in price. Only one fruit and one vegetable increased in price in that time, those being grapefruit and bell peppers, the costs of which increased by 6.5 percent and 34 percent, respectively.
You can certainly see changes in what people are spending most of their cash on now in contrast to 1982 though. Now, people spend about 21.5 percent of the budget on meats when it used to be 31.3 percent. Now, people spend 22.9 percent on processed foods and sweets when people used to spend 11.6 percent. Fruits and vegetable expenditures have stayed almost the same though since they are now at 14.6 percent and they used to be 14.5 percent. Michelle Obama's plan to help children get healthier is well justified when you consider these statistics.
Subsidies do it
From 1995 to 2010, the agriculture industry has received $261.9 billion in subsidies. The amount of corn produced manufactured in America increased from 4 billion bushels to 12 billion bushels in that time. This is part of why we are paying less for groceries, according to Mother Jones.
The price of meat went up 8 percent in 2011, and the price of grain doubled. This just shows that costs are beginning to go up, according to Forbes.
Only about 15.8 percent of the money brought in from selling food goes to the farmer who produced it, which means farmers do not benefit from the low prices, according to the Department of Agriculture. The Daily Green points out that this means farmers need higher prices.
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