Food choices and diet costs: an economic analysis

Summary

This paper by Drewnowski and Darmon provides an economic analysis of how food prices and diet costs influence dietary choices, with particular attention to the inverse relationship between energy density and cost. The authors argue that energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods — such as refined grains, added sugars, and fats — tend to offer more dietary energy per unit cost than nutrient-dense foods such as fruits, vegetables, and lean proteins, which may help explain dietary patterns observed among lower-income populations. The paper contributes to understanding the structural economic barriers to healthy eating and their implications for diet quality and food security.

UK applicability

Although the analysis draws primarily on food pricing data from the United States and France, the economic principles and findings are broadly applicable to UK contexts, where similar price disparities between energy-dense and nutrient-dense foods have been documented and are relevant to public health nutrition policy.

Key measures

Diet cost (cost per 1,000 kcal; cost per nutrient unit); energy density (kcal/g); nutrient density scores; food group comparisons

Outcomes reported

The study examined the relationship between the cost of foods and diets and their nutritional quality, assessing whether energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods are systematically cheaper than nutrient-dense alternatives. It reported on diet cost per unit of energy and per unit of nutrient content across food groups.

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