Around half of Scottish adults go without (or considered going without) essential food items or skipping meals, new research reveals.
The survey by Food Standards Scotland (FSS) found just over one-fifth said they were buying less fresh fruit and vegetables, which rose to just under a third in areas most affected by poverty. Around a third said their diet was less healthy as a result of the cost-of-living crisis, with healthy eating being considered less of a priority.
The survey reveals that almost three-fifths of respondents are swapping to cheaper or unbranded products, buying more on promotion, and buying fewer treat foods. More than a tenth of respondents had used a foodbank or food pantry and a further third would consider this.
Leanne Garden, Public Health Nutrition advisor at FSS, said: “This survey has shown us that the cost-of-living crisis has impacted negatively on many people’s ability to access food, due in part to costs being prioritised for other areas, including household energy bills.
“It is of great concern that more than one in ten respondents needed to use food banks and pantries, and that eating a healthy diet as a result of the cost-of-living crisis has become a lower priority.”
