Comparative cost of diets for low-income families in the Caribbean
Objective
To assess the ability of low-income families to obtain a standard basket of healthy foods before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods
The costs of 191 food items were averaged from supermarkets, municipal markets, wholesalers, and community food outlets in high- and low-income areas in three Caribbean countries. The analysis compared foods not only by selecting high- and low-ranked commodities but by the proportions of those foods, by food group, that will be required to meet a low-cost, nutritionally balanced diet of 2 400 kcal.