Nov 4, 2026
Skipping lunch used to be a sign of a busy day, but, for a growing share of Canadians, it’s now a budgeting strategy. And younger adults are relying on it the most.
Nearly 1 in 3 Canadians say they’ve shrunk a meal, or skipped one entirely, because groceries were out of reach, according to a new national survey. Among Canadians aged 18 to 34, that figure jumps to 2 in 5.
Advertisement
Grocery inflation has cooled this fall, but the hit at the checkout isn’t easing.
Thanks for subscribing!
The best of Money.ca delivered weekly.
By signing up, you accept Money.ca Terms of Use, Subscription Agreement, and Privacy Policy.
How many young Canadians are skipping meals?
The Salvation Army is the country’s largest non-governmental direct provider of social services. Its newly released 2026 Canadian Poverty and Socioeconomic Analysis reveals that 31% of Canadians skipped or reduced meals because they couldn’t afford groceries, up from 27% in 2025. That’s the highest level in the study’s four-year tracking period.
Younger adults are feeling the pinch the most. Among Canadians aged 18 to 34:
- More than 2 in 5 (41%) skipped or reduced meals
- Nearly 1 in 4 (23%) accessed community food supports, up from 15% in 2025
- More than 3 in 4 (76%) report challenges managing limited financial resources, compared with 55% of those aged 55 and older
Food affordability has climbed the list to become one of Canadians’ top three national concerns, from 26% in 2025 to 37% in 2026.
“For many families, making ends meet is no longer about cutting back on extras,” said Glenn van Gulik, national spokesperson for the Salvation Army. He added that families now face hard trade-offs between food, housing and other essentials.
Must Read
- A single line on your car insurance policy could be inflating your premium by up to 30% — here's what to change
- Here are 5 'must-haves' that Canadians constantly overpay for. How many of these are sabotaging your budget every single month?
- Here are the 5 biggest differences between rich and poor Canadians — which side do you fall on?
Join 20,000+ readers and get Money.ca’s best stories and exclusive interviews first — clear insights curated and delivered weekly. Subscribe now.
Why isn’t slower grocery inflation bringing relief?
According to Statistics Canada, prices for food purchased from stores rose 1.7% year over year in September, after increasing 2.8% in August. That was the smallest yearly increase since May 2024. But slower growth doesn’t necessarily mean lower prices. In fact, grocery prices have increased 33.0% since September 2020.
Nearly 1 in 4 Canadians (24%) spend at least half of their after-tax household income on housing, according to the survey. Trade uncertainty adds yet another layer, with 60% saying their household has felt a financial impact from U.S. tariffs or trade disputes.
When rent is fixed and groceries are the only flexible line in the budget, meals become the available shock absorber.
Are you missing out on the federal grocery benefit?
One of the most practical moves you can make to receive some relief is filing your tax return.
Advertisement
The Canada Groceries and Essentials Benefit (CGEB) replaced the GST/HST credit in July 2026. It’s a tax-free quarterly payment for individuals and families with low and modest incomes. A single individual could receive up to $679 for July 2026 to June 2027, plus $234 for each eligible child under 19. For a single person, that works out to roughly $170 per quarter at the maximum.
But there’s a catch. You may not get a payment if you did not file your 2025 tax return. New residents of Canada may need to apply separately using Form RC151. The next payment is scheduled for Jan. 5, 2027.
A quarterly cheque won’t close a grocery gap on its own, but it may be the difference between having something to eat and having no meal at all.
What to do now
If you’re struggling to afford three meals a day, there are options available to you to ease the burden:
- File any outstanding tax returns, even if your income is low, to be assessed for the CGEB and other credits
- Map your fixed costs with the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada’s (FCAC) free Budget Planner to see what’s truly left over for food
- If housing takes half or more of your take-home pay, treat that as the core problem rather than your grocery list
- Set up direct deposit with the CRA to receive payments faster and more securely
There is no shame in using of food support programs. In fact, 83% of surveyed support-service users said accessing them improved their family’s wellbeing.
The takeaway isn’t that young Canadians need to cut out the latte; their margins are already gone. A better starting point is money you may already be owed, then look hard at the biggest fixed cost in your budget. That’s where meaningful room is most likely to be found.
Survey methodology
The Salvation Army’s 2026 Canadian Poverty and Socioeconomic Analysis was conducted by Edelman Intelligence from Sept. 11 to Sept. 18, 2026. It surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1,525 Canadians who are members of the online Angus Reid Forum, weighted by age, gender and region. The sample also included 180 current and past users of Salvation Army services. Residents of Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut were not included. A margin of error cannot be calculated for a non-probability sample; for comparison, a probability sample of the same size would carry a margin of error of about +/- 2.5 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
You May Also Like
- This 7-step plan from Dave Ramsey is designed to help you ditch debt, save more and build wealth — here’s how it works
- Prioritize these 4 critical investments and watch your net worth skyrocket
- Here are 8 solid money moves that could free up real cash every month — here's where to start
- Millionaires under 43 are reshaping investing — just 25% of their portfolios are in stocks. Here’s where their money is going
The most expensive financial mistakes are often the ones you don't see coming. Join 19,000+ Canadians who get the money moves, risks and opportunities shaping their finances — delivered free each week. Subscribe now.
Leslie Kennedy served as an editor at Thomson Reuters and for Star Media Group, followed by a number of years as a writer and editor and content manager in marketing communications, before returning to her editorial roots. She is a graduate of Humber College’s post-graduate journalism program and has been a professional writer and editor ever since.
