Soaring grocery bills are prompting a significant shift in Canadian eating habits, with many households turning to plant-based alternatives as a strategy to combat food inflation. One Ottawa resident, Hugh Goldring, exemplifies this trend, swapping pricey meats for affordable legumes to feed his family of three.
The Cost-Driven Shift to Plant-Based Eating
For Hugh Goldring, a contract writer and publisher, the move towards lentils and chickpeas isn't entirely new. However, the relentless rise in food prices has made this dietary change a frequent necessity rather than an occasional choice. Food prices in Canada have increased by 27 per cent over the past five years, with a further six per cent hike forecasted for the coming year, according to the latest Canada Food Price Report.
The report paints a stark picture for family budgets, indicating that a family of four can expect to spend an additional $1,000 at grocery stores in 2026. Meat, particularly beef, has been hit hardest, with prices jumping 19 per cent in the first quarter of 2025 alone.
"A huge can of beans costs $2, and any meat that won’t poison you outright is expensive," Goldring stated, highlighting the financial motivation behind his choices. His culinary creativity now involves blending high-protein chickpeas into cheese-like pasta sauces and pureeing beans for vegan curries with coconut milk and vegetables, instead of purchasing stewing beef.
A National Trend: Less Meat, More Plants
Goldring's experience is far from unique. The data reveals a nationwide adjustment in consumption patterns. Eighty-six per cent of Canadians reported eating less meat due to rising costs, with about 17 per cent actively incorporating more plant-based proteins like lentils, tofu, and quinoa into their diets.
"People are looking to save as much as possible," explained Sylvain Charlebois, lead author of the Canada Food Price Report and director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab. "People will reduce the amount of meat they consume, but it doesn’t necessarily mean people will give up on it."
This has given rise to the 'flexitarian' diet—primarily plant-based with occasional meat or fish. The fall 2025 Canadian Food Sentiment Index report noted a 2.2 per cent increase in flexitarian eating, coinciding with a 6.9 per cent drop in strictly omnivorous diets.
Climate Change and Stable Veggie Prices
According to Charlebois, climate change is a primary driver behind rising animal protein costs, as it disrupts complex supply chains from farm to table. He predicts prices for chicken and pork will also increase as consumers seek alternatives to expensive beef.
In contrast, vegetable protein sources are largely insulated from these climate effects. Charlebois notes their prices remain "incredibly stable." Statistics Canada data underscores this disparity: while a kilogram of whole chicken in Ontario surged by over $3 (53 per cent) since January 2025, the price of canned dry beans crept up by only a few cents (1.4 per cent).
For Goldring, the shift is pragmatic but not absolute. As a father to a five-year-old, he remains mindful of nutrition. "I’m basically an omnivore who is eating less meat and animal products," he clarified. To manage his food budget, he has also cut back on restaurant meals and become a dedicated sale shopper.
His outlook on the future is sobering: "I think Canadians should look to a future where they spend as much on food as they do on rent." Charlebois agrees, stating that such a future is "an absolute possibility" if current trends continue, signaling a profound and lasting change in how Canadians afford to eat.
