The Cost and Affordability of Preparing a Basic Meal Around the World

Abstract

All countries have a rising burden of diet-related disease from the consumption of unhealthy foods. About three billion people around the world cannot afford the diverse foods needed for a healthy diet. This chapter aims to extend previous work on diet cost and affordability to address the hidden costs of meal preparation inside the home. Costs of a basic meal based on market prices for the most affordable items are estimated in 168 countries. Also, the hidden costs of meal preparation are considered, taking account of environmental or social externalities from the production and distribution of food, as well as the health externalities involved in food consumption. The data shown here reveal that even the simple raw ingredients for a basic plate are often unaffordable for the poorest, and the added cost of time and fuel can make such meals prohibitively expensive. Results suggest two main avenues for policy action. First, governments should use the information on the least costly way to meet dietary standards to inform poverty lines and provide targeted assistance so as to ensure that citizens can acquire safe and nutritious items in sufficient quantities for an active and healthy life, using locale-appropriate safety nets. Second, food policies should recognize the hidden costs of meal preparation that often put healthier, more sustainable diets out of reach. Overcoming the hidden barriers to preparation of healthy meals will require support for helpful forms of food processing that preserve or enhance nutritional values, while taking action to limit potentially harmful forms of ultra-processing associated with diet-related disease. Food-based safety nets and improvements in the food environment can make healthy diets affordable for all people at all times, to help every country reach global development goals.

Improving nutrition through blended finance and impact investing in small and medium enterprises in sub‐Saharan Africa

“…Affordability relates to food prices relative to constraints, primarily disposable income after other priority expenditures, but can also encompass time and other inputs (e.g., fuel) associated with preparing foods for consumption (FAO et al, 2020; Masters et al, 2021). Affordability is a common barrier to diet quality (Oldewage‐Theron & Kruger, 2008).…”

New Challenges and Future Perspectives in Nutrition and Sustainable Diets in Africa

“…A basic plate only meets one-third of an adult individual's daily energy needs and thus it is neither nutritious nor healthy. It is typically compiled with least-cost ingredients and includes a starchy staple (75 g), protein source (57.25 g), tomatoes (55 g), onion (16.25 g), and vegetable oil (28.13 g; Masters et al, 2021). In this study, the basic plate ingredients were maize flour, brown beans, tomatoes, onion and vegetable oil.…”

A subnational affordability assessment of nutritious foods for complementary feeding in Kenya

“…Food handling procedures (drying, preservation, storage, transportation) are also critical for many foods, such as omena, as they impact nutritional value, palatability and safety. Some foods, such as beans, take longer to cook, impacting nonfood fuel and time costs (Masters et al, 2021). Future research should assess these and other potential barriers to optimal complementary feeding more comprehensively, to identify their relative importance in each context and inform effective policymaking.…”