UK food systems under fire with increasing insecurity and doubling cost of nutritious meals

The Food Foundation reveals the UK’s worsening food insecurity is making healthy foods unaffordable for many. Its Broken Plate 2025 report finds food systems promoting unhealthy and unsustainable options while urging urgent government action to ensure fair access to nutritious food.

It outlines three key findings:

• The cost of healthier foods per calorie is twice as expensive as less healthy options and is more scarce.
• To afford the government-recommended healthy diet, the most deprived fifth of the population would need to spend 45% of their income on food, which rises to 70% for households with children.
• Fast food businesses are rising in most deprived areas (one in three), and a quarter of all food outlets in England are fast food businesses.

The organization states that leadership with ambition can reverse the food and nutrition crisis while ensuring environmental protection and economic growth.

Food system dysfunction

According to the report, the UK’s food system is not improving health and environmental issues. Children have been found to eat less than half of the recommended amount of fruit and vegetables while consuming double the amount of sugar.

To afford the government-recommended healthy diet, the most deprived fifth of the population would need to spend 45% of their income on food.“While UK emissions for the whole economy fell by 38% between 2008 and 2022, emissions from the food system fell by just 17% over the same period of time,” it reads.

Children in the most deprived population were seen to be suffering from obesity and tooth decay in permanent teeth. A recent study published in The Lancet revealed that child nutrition goals for 2030 will largely remain unmet as obesity numbers continue to rise globally. 

Recognizing structural issues, the Food Foundation suggests support for meaningful engagement between citizens and policymakers on food policy. 

To create a more environmentally sustainable food system, the report authors suggest creating an environment that enables eating more plant-based, minimally processed foods, and alternatives like legumes. This is because they warn the UK’s “food system is severely damaging the planet, contributing heavily to both greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity loss.”

A new study of 21,561 people found that plant-based diets shape healthier microbiomes and have better cardiometabolic outcomes. Omnivore, vegetarian, and vegan diets are gaining popularity and are spotlighted for making a positive impact. Other research backs this while suggesting the benefits of non-industrialized diets. An Oxford study found diets high in this food type lower mortality and disease risks, environmental resource use, and pollution.

In updates, we spoke to Ayana Bio’s CEO, who says ultra-processed foods can be made healthier using cultivated plant cells.

Plant-based, more environmentally friendly milk costs, on average, 55% more in stores than dairy milk.Data talks 

The study points out that plant-based, more environmentally friendly milk substitutes cost, on average, 55% more in stores than dairy milk.

“Only 3% of breakfast cereals and 5% of yogurts marketed to children are low in sugar…Three-quarters (74%) of the baby and toddler snacks that have front-of-pack promotional claims contain high or medium levels of sugar…Over a third (36%) of food and soft drink advertising spend is on confectionery, snacks, desserts, and soft drinks, compared to just 2% on fruit and vegetables,” details the report.

“Over a third (37%) of supermarket promotions on food and non-alcoholic drinks are for unhealthy food…On average, healthier foods are more than twice as expensive per calorie as less healthy foods, with healthier food increasing in price at twice the rate in the past two years.”

The report adds that since 2009, diabetes-related lower-limb amputation has increased by 68%. 

The authors suggest the government regulate the advertising and marketing of unhealthy and less sustainable food, including misleading health claims. It should also address what people should eat to be healthy, keeping in mind those with limited budgets and focus on improving nutritional quality in children’s diets.

In other news, Action Against Hunger has published an open letter, signed by chiefs, to foreign secretary David Lammy, calling for the UK to commit an extra £500 million over the next five years to nutrition-specific programs at the upcoming Nutrition for Growth Summit.