Yes, there were parades and fireworks this Fourth of July. However, a lot of Americans simply wanted to spend time with their loved ones while enjoying a dish of ribs, corn on the cob, and watermelon. Some may have reduced guest lists to save money on groceries rather than to make room.
Food prices continue to consume a significant portion of our salaries, despite recent improvements in general inflation.
When food prices skyrocketed during COVID, there was optimism that the situation would be short-lived and considered a passing fad, similar to the toilet paper runs or our shared fixation with sourdough beginnings.
However, the cost of groceries was a popular source of voter annoyance leading up to the 2024 election, and food prices continued to rise long after COVID began.
Today, we’re all still spending more money to satisfy our hunger.
The fact that food producers are uncertain about the impact of tariffs on their products on a monthly basis is not helping matters.
However, new issues have surfaced that have affected daily necessities.
like meat.
The demand for beef products, whether they are steaks or hamburgers, is still robust, but manufacturing has encountered a problem. For the sixth consecutive year, U.S. cattle stockpiles have decreased to their lowest levels since the early 1950s. Additionally, growth takes time, even though herd restoration is anticipated to pick up steam in the upcoming years. Meanwhile, it is anticipated that prices would keep growing.
Of course, the expense of feeding a family includes more than just meat. During the pandemic, poultry prices rose sharply. They then leveled out in 2023–2024 before rising once more in 2025.
Due to bird flu outbreaks, the price of eggs alone increased by more than 100% between 2020 and 2023. In 2025, egg prices are predicted to rise.
A family of four may spend $300 to $350 a week, according to Instacart, depending on where they live and how old their kids are. This is an increase from roughly $250 per week in 2020. The fact that your entire shopping expenditure is actually significantly greater is probably making many of you grocery consumers who are reading this page roll your eyes. So high that a lot of parents or shoppers wince when they give their credit card to the cashier, who then shrugs and gives them a long receipt.
With over one in seven residents in Florida being classified as food insecure—that is, without access to enough wholesome food to meet their nutritional needs—this affects the state especially. To make matters worse, one out of five Florida kids comes from a home where there is food insecurity. The expense of food is making matters worse for these families, and Florida has one of the highest rates of hunger in the country.
Americans have long had to deal with high, ongoing grocery costs. A specific age group of us can recall past experiences with sticker shock.
During the early 1970s, food inflation reached a height of almost 20% per year. When President Richard Nixon implemented price restrictions in 1971, they backfired and made the situation worse since the costs of beef, dairy, wheat, and sugar skyrocketed.
Food prices skyrocketed in 2007–2008 due to a global food crisis brought on by high oil costs, subpar crops, and export limitations. Around the world, food shortages and prices have caused instability in a number of nations, including Mexico, Egypt, and Peru.
And then COVID, of course.
The duration of persistently high costs, the range of all categories, and the convergence of several crises, including the pandemic, geopolitical unrest, and climate change, are what distinguish the extended 2020–2025 period. According to the Pew Research Center, the price of eating at home has increased by more than 28% since January 2020 as of May. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the cost of eating in has increased by 2.2% over the past year, with greater increases (6.1% total) for proteins including meat, fish, poultry, and eggs.
Eating out has become even more expensive. Operators and restaurant owners are all too familiar with the agony of rising food prices, which, when paired with skyrocketing labor costs, are forcing far too many independent restaurant owners to close.
What will alleviate the situation? More food supplies would be beneficial. It would be good to see the Trump administration stop its trade war. Food prices would decline as a result of lower energy costs.
In general, competitive markets both domestically and internationally ought to gradually bring things back to normal. This is true for both grocers and large food producers. We think that if markets are given the freedom to operate as they may, they will supply enough goods to meet demand.
For millions of Americans, especially those in low- and middle-income households, providing for their families has become a financial burden. Having enough money to feed our family is one of the most basic problems at the kitchen table. Americans will remain pessimistic about the status of their country until weekly grocery shop trips become less terrifying.
The Orlando Sentinel has copied this editorial from the Chicago Tribune. Occasionally, editorials that support our stances are adapted by The Sentinel. Executive Editor Roger Simmons, Opinion Editor Krys Fluker, and Viewpoints Editor Jay Reddick are all members of the Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board. Correspondence should be emailed to [email protected].
