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Ask your grandparents, or even your mom and dad, and they’ll tell you that the prices of our favorite foods certainly aren’t the same as they used to be. “A gallon of milk cost $0.50 under Eisenhower,” your gran will yell. And she’s not wrong. In the ’60s, a gallon of milk cost $0.49, a dozen eggs cost $0.57, and a brand new house retailed for about $16,000. Yeah — times have definitely changed.
We did some digging to see how the cost of our favorite foods changed in the past few decades. And TBH, you’re going to be a little shocked.
According to statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, food prices, in general, spiked 53.3% between 2000 and 2019. Inflation, agricultural production, and consumer demand all contributed to this uptick. In 2019, a slight plateau of food price inflation did occur. However, prices are destined to resume their upward trend by 2020 as oil prices rise, climate change continues to damage crops, and as the U.S. continues to subsidize corn products for biofuels.
We talked a bit about these and other factors contributing to the rise of food product prices back in 2018, so feel free to check that out before diving into this unnerving list.
In 2010, a pound of bacon cost $4.53 (with inflation, that’s around $5). However, by 2016, the price of bacon went up to $5.49. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the cost of the cured meat was about $5.55 in April 2019. It’s slowly, but surely, creeping up in price and we don’t like it.
In January of 2018, the BLS reported the average price for a pound of cheddar cheese was about $5.02. And in January of 2019, that price per pound went up to $5.37. Lucky for us, the price of cheddar cheese has dropped about $0.10 since January. However, the January price was the highest cheddar cheese had been since April 2016, when it cost $5.39.
As reported by the BLS, the average combined price of both red and white liter bottles of wine went up about $4 in the past decade. In January 2009, a liter of wine cost $8.63, and in January 2019, a liter of wine cost $12.01. No, this steep hike in price will not stop most people from indulging, but we do believe this is an injustice.
It’s time to start stockpiling peanut butter because the price of it is increasing at an unnerving pace. According to the BLS, a pound of the creamy nut spread cost $1.77 in January 2007. And in January 2017, a pound of the exact same schmear cost $2.56. Sorry, creamy peanut butter lovers — either switch to chunky or pay up for that smooth, nutty goodness.
And the root vegetable can be incorporated into breakfast, lunch, or dinner. The price, however, has subtly but steadily increased over the past decade. In January 2009, the BSL noted that a pound of white potatoes went for about $0.68. But in January 2019, a pound of white potatoes cost $0.75.
As yogurt becomes increasingly more popular in the health-food communities, its price consistently creeps upward. In April 2018, the BLS reported an eight-ounce tub of yogurt cost an average $1.06. And in April 2019, that price went up a few cents to a $1.09. Sure, that doesn’t seem like a drastic jump, but professionals expect the price to continually rise.
The price of salted, grade AA butter fluctuated since the beginning of the 2000s, according to the BLS. However, as of 2010, the price per pound of salted butter went on an upward trend. It started at $2.78 in January 2010 and slowly went up to $3.50 by 2012.
USA Today noted that there was a 30.5% increase in the price of cakes, cupcakes, and cookies in the past decade. Coincidentally, the rising prices of both flour and butter may have caused the dessert cost uptick. And if you have an insatiable sweet tooth, beware. Your wallet will certainly feel the hit.
In January 2009, field-grown tomatoes went for an average $1.66 per pound, according to the BLS. But in January 2019, consumers were forced to shell out $2.23 per pound if they wanted farm-fresh tomatoes. People could start growing their own tomatoes, though. The crop tends to do well in home gardens.
Reportedly, in April 2018, soft drinks cost an average of $1.44 per two liters, according to the BLS. In April 2019, however, every two liters of soft drinks cost an average $1.54. Since 2018, the average cost of soft drinks has only increased. Moreover, the trend is likely to continue in the future.
Like butter, the price per half-gallon of ice cream notably fluctuated in the past decade. In December of 2011, a half-gallon cost a whopping $5.25, but that price thankfully dropped to $4.57 by November of 2017. The price per half-gallon is increasing again, though. As of April of 2019, it cost an average of $4.82.
In fact, the price of bread increased a whopping 31.8% in the past 10 years, according to USA Today. And this is despite the fact that fewer people consume wheat-based products in America. However, the demand for artisanal bread in the U.S. and the constant demand for bread in Europe contributed to rising bread costs rise throughout the decade.
And USA Today noted a 32.4% price hike for pasta in the past decade. It’s no surprise that the cost went up either. Americans are constantly demanding of the stuff. In fact, food reports suggest Americans indulge in an average of 19.4 pounds of pasta annually. People in the United States have nothing on Italians, though. They eat about 51 pounds of pasta each year.
The change was especially noticeable in the United States over the past 10 years, In January 2009, beef steaks cost an average of $5.21 per pound. That’s a great deal less compared to the whopping $7.50-per-pound price of beef steaks in January 2019. The price continues to rise, too. As of April 2019, beef steaks cost an average $7.76 per pound. Yikes.
According to the BLS, a pound of ground beef went for $3.16 in January of 2009. Whereas in January 2019, the price per pound of ground beef jumped to $4.17. The ground meat reached its peak price per pound in 2015, though. In February of that year, a pound of ground beef cost $4.71.
USA Today reports that the market for gourmet salts is experiencing an increase in sales. Consequently, the price of salt shot up 36.5% in the past decade. Salt blends, pink Himalayan salt, truffle salt, sea salt — you name it, Americans want it. Gone are the days when households only owned Kosher salt. The salt revolution is here.
Just think — our generation is going to become the grandparents who talk about how beef only cost $8 per pound. Yikes. That’s a scary thought on so many levels.
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