Food Affordability in Ottawa: The 2025 Nutritious Food Basket
Food insecurity means not having enough money to buy food, which can range from worrying about running out of food to skipping meals. Food insecurity is an ongoing and growing public health issue. In Ottawa, over 1 in 4 households (25.7%) experienced food insecurity in 2024, a significant increase from 15.3% of households in 2019 (PHO, 2025).
Every year, Ottawa Public Health (OPH) conducts the Nutritious Food Basket (NFB) survey to determine much it costs to eat healthy in Ottawa. In 2025, the NFB survey shows it costs $343 per month for a single adult, and $1,180 per month for a reference family of four (2 adults and 2 school-aged children) to eat healthy in Ottawa. of four (2 adults and 2 school-aged children) to eat healthy in Ottawa. These results were presented to the Ottawa Board of Health on November 3rd. For more information, please read OPH’s memo on Monitoring Food Affordability in Ottawa: 2025 Nutritious Food Basket.
With fixed expenses like rent, utilities, and transportation, many households cannot afford healthy food. For example:
A family of four on Ontario Works renting a three-bedroom unit faces a monthly deficit of $188 after paying for rent and food, or $1,017 if they are new tenants.
A single person household on Ontario Disability Support Program renting a one-bedroom unit faces a monthly deficit of $130 after paying for rent and food, or $503 if they are new tenants.
These scenarios illustrate that many low-income individuals and families do not have enough money to afford basic needs, including nutritious food. Poverty is a root cause of food insecurity.
Food insecurity takes a significant toll on our community. Its impact goes far beyond hunger, affecting physical and mental health, increasing healthcare costs, and undermining overall community well-being. While community initiatives (like food banks and breakfast programs) offer temporary relief, they do not address the systemic causes.
Addressing food insecurity requires policies that raise incomes such as adequate social assistance rates, a living wage, and guaranteed basic income. Access to food is a basic human right.
For more information on food insecurity and strategies to address this issue, visit our website at OttawaPublicHealth.ca/foodinsecurity.