The cost of living is biting. Here’s how to spend less on meat and dairy

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Food and non-alcoholic drinks rose by 7.9% in the year to May, with biggest increases in dairy products (15.1%), breads and cereals (12.8%) and processed foods (11.5%).

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The ConversationThe Conversation
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https://theconversation.com/the-cost-of-living-is-biting-heres-how-to-spend-less-on-meat-and-dairy-206703https://theconversation.com/the-cost-of-living-is-biting-heres-how-to-spend-less-on-meat-and-dairy-206703
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Wednesday, July 19, 2023
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Edible, Cannelloni, Meat, Food, Zinc, Comparison, Dairy product, Magnesium, St. Louis Fed Financial Stress Index, Money-rich, time-poor, Nutrient, UHT, Woman, Calcium, Milk, Butter, Salmon, Iron, Cooking, Lunch, Coffee, Egg as food, Potassium, Family, Product, Grocery store, Food delivery, Dietary supplement, Legume, Convenience food, Online shopping, Cheese
Summary
Key Points: 
  • Food and non-alcoholic drinks rose by 7.9% in the year to May, with biggest increases in dairy products (15.1%), breads and cereals (12.8%) and processed foods (11.5%).
  • Meat costs rose by 3.8%, but the absolute increase was high, with a kilo of fillet steak costing up to A$60 for a kilogram.
  • Australians spend around 15% of their weekly food budget on meat and half that (7.4%) on dairy products.

Meat

    • Meat is a good source of protein, iron, zinc and vitamin B12.
    • Recommendations are for a maximum of three serves of cooked lean red meat a week.
    • This includes beef, lamb, veal, pork, or kangaroo, with a serve being 65g cooked, which equates to 90–100g raw.
    • Read more:
      Love meat too much to be vegetarian?

Dairy

    • Dairy products are important sources of protein, calcium, magnesium, zinc, potassium and vitamins A, B2 and B12.
    • Australian recommendations are for two to three serves a day for adults and four serves for women over 50.
    • Fresh milk costs between $1.50 and $3.00 per litre depending on type and brand, while UHT milk is cheaper, about $1.60 per litre.
    • It’s even cheaper to buy powdered milk ($10 per kilogram pack, which makes ten litres), equating to $1 per litre.
    • Block cheese ranges from $15 to $30 a kilogram, while packets of pre-sliced cheese vary from $18 to over $30.

3 tips to save on your food bills

    • Have a household food budget Ensure everyone is on the same page about saving money on food and drinks.
    • About 50% of household food dollars are spent on takeaway, eating out, coffee, alcohol, food-delivery services and extras, so have a budget for discretionary food items.
    • Your household might need an incentive to stick to the budget, like voting on which “discretionary” items food dollars get spent on.
    • If you need food help right now, the Ask Izzy website can locate services in your area.
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