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Rising food costs leave many older adults struggling to eat healthy

Survey shows 71% of older adults say affordability is the biggest barrier to buying nutritious food

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Mark Huffman
Reporter

Mark Huffman has covered consumer issues since 2004, with a special focus on protecting and empowering older adults. A former news correspondent for the Associated Press Radio Network, Westwood One, and ConsumerAffairs, Mark brings decades of journalistic experience to RetirementLiving.com. He is passionate about giving consumers a voice and helping them make informed decisions. Mark has also created educational content, including Senior Scam Alert, a video resource designed to help seniors recognize and avoid fraud. He holds a B.A. from the University of Kentucky and lives with his family in Richmond, Virginia.
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Key Insights

  • A new National Council on Aging (NCOA) survey finds that 71% of older adults say affordability is the biggest barrier to choosing and buying healthy food.
  • Nearly half of respondents reported difficulty consistently accessing nutritious food over the past year, despite feeling confident they know what a healthy diet looks like.
  • NCOA is urging greater use and protection of federal nutrition programs that help older adults afford basic food needs.

Young families aren’t the only people struggling with affordability. Plenty of retirees are in the same boat, and a recent survey suggests it could have negative health effects.

The survey from the National Council on Aging highlights a growing challenge for older Americans: affording healthy food. 

According to the survey, 71% of respondents said the cost of food is a major obstacle to purchasing nutritious options. While most older adults reported confidence in their understanding of healthy eating, many said limited financial resources make it difficult to put that knowledge into practice.

‘Essential to aging well’

“Eating healthy food is essential to aging well, but these results confirm what we already know—far too many older adults are struggling just to afford the basics,” said Gretchen Dueñas-Tanbonliong, NCOA’s associate director of health and wellness. 

She added that rising food prices make it increasingly important to connect eligible older adults with assistance programs designed to ease that burden.

The survey found that nearly half of respondents—48%—said it was somewhat hard, hard, or very hard for their household to regularly obtain and eat healthy foods during the past 12 months. Beyond affordability, other barriers included mobility challenges or physical limitations, cited by 22% of respondents, and difficulties qualifying for food assistance programs, cited by 20%.

Nutrition and joint health

The research also explored the intersection of nutrition and joint health, another key factor in aging well. Three-quarters of respondents reported experiencing joint discomfort in the two weeks prior to taking the survey. To manage that discomfort, 59% said they used pain relievers, while 58% turned to stretching or yoga.

NCOA emphasized the role of federal nutrition programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP), and the Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP) in helping older adults access healthy food. The organization continues to advocate at the federal level to protect and strengthen these programs.

Older adults and their families can check eligibility for SNAP, CSFP, SFMNP, and other state and local assistance programs through NCOA’s free and confidential BenefitsCheckUp® website. By answering a small number of anonymous questions, users receive a personalized list of programs they may qualify for, along with guidance on how to apply.

The survey underscores a simple but pressing reality: for many older Americans, aging well starts with healthy food—but affordability remains a significant hurdle.