Making a few simple dietary improvements, such as substituting 100 percent whole wheat bread for white bread, lean ground beef for regular, and low-fat cheese for whole-fat, increases monthly food spending $70 to $80 per month for a family of four, according to a new UC study. This higher cost represents 35 to 40 percent of low-income consumers' food budgets.

"We were not surprised to discover that people would need to spend almost a $1,000 more per year to feed their families a more nutritious diet than if they were to simply buy the cheapest foods," said UC Agricultural Issues Center research economist Karen Jetter, one of the study's authors. "This confirms the belief that cost may be one barrier to healthier eating."

The study, published in March 2005 as a UC Agricultural Issues Center Issues Brief, compares the availability and cost of the standard Thrifty Food Plan (TFP) market basket to a market basket of healthier substitutes. The TFP is a low-cost meal plan developed by the USDA that demonstrates how people on a modest budget can meet the minimum USDA food pyramid guidelines.

Jetter's co-author, director of the UC Davis Center for Advanced Studies in Nutrition and Social Marketing Diana Cassady, reviewed the USDA's food plan and identified healthier substitutes for dairy, meats, canned fruit, fats, breads and grain products. Fresh fruit and vegetable selections stayed the same. Surveyors recorded the lowest price per unit for each food item at grocery stores in high and low income Los Angeles and Sacramento neighborhoods. In all, 12 stores in Los Angeles and 13 in Sacramento were surveyed three times to account for seasonal fluctuations in prices. The surveys were conducted in summer 2003, fall 2004 and spring 2004.

Some stores never carried the healthier items. Six stores never had 100 percent whole wheat spaghetti; three stores never had 100 percent whole wheat English muffins, higher fiber hamburger buns, or low-fat cheddar cheese; and two stores never had 100 percent whole wheat bagels or unbreaded frozen fish filets. When the healthier items were unavailable, the authors used an average price from similar stores in similar neighborhoods.

The healthier market basket was always significantly more expensive than the TFP market basket. The average cost of the TFP was $194 for two weeks and the cost of the healthier basket was $230. The average increase in cost was $36 and ranged from $32 to $41, depending on store location or store type.

Healthier substitutes cost more mostly due to the 100 percent whole wheat breads and whole grains, low fat ground meats and skinless poultry.

"At the time of the survey, none of the stores carried a generic label whole wheat bread and the name brand breads were always more expensive," Jetter said.

The other source of price differences for grains was from differences in package sizes. Items such as white flower and white rice are sold in larger packages than whole wheat flour and brown rice. Although prices for a 10-pound bag of white or wheat flour may be the same, because consumers can purchase the 20-pound bag at a lower per-ounce cost, white flour is less expensive to use.

Similar results were found for canned fruit and for canola versus vegetable oils. A generic brand for fruit packed in heavy syrup was generally available in a 24-ounce can. However, a name brand may sell a 15-ounce can of either fruit packed in either heavy syrup or juice at the same price. The per-ounce price of the larger can was generally less. Stores also sold a generic brand of vegetable oil in gallon containers, but canola oil was only available with name brands in smaller containers.

The healthier substitutes for meat and poultry were higher priced because they had less fat. Ground beef was priced according to fat content and as the fat content went down, the price went up. The lowest cost method to consume poultry without skin is to purchase the poultry with skin and remove the skin when preparing a meal at home. Poultry is served with skin in the TFP and without skin in the healthier market basket.

For a few items, the healthier substitutes were less expensive than the TFP market basket selections. Nonfat milk and potatoes (substituted for frozen french fries in the TFP basket) were generally less expensive.

A copy of the six-page Issues Brief, "The Availability and Cost of Healthier Food Items," is available in pdf format on the UC Agricultural Issues Center Web site, http://aic.ucdavis.edu. Under the heading "Publications" select "Issues Briefs."