Food Insecurity: Middle-income Parents Skip Meals To Buy Food for Their Children

A survey reveals that an alarming number of parents are having difficulty providing food for their kids as food costs soar that they have to skip meals just to put food on the dinner table.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' March 14 consumer price index report stated that food prices in February 2023 became more expensive at 9.5 percent compared to February 2022. A 0.4 percent increase was found from January 2023 to February 2023, slightly lower than the 0.5 percent increase from December 2022 to January 2023.

A recent survey declared that though the surging food prices have hit lower-income families the most, food insecurity has also become a "pressing issue" for middle-income American families.

Three thousand parents of public school children responded to the survey administered by Ipsos. It was discovered that 58- and 68 percent of middle-income and low-income families, respectively, are struggling to afford enough food to place on the dinner table over the past year. Further, 93 percent of middle-income parents and 87 percent of lower-income parents pointed to the rise in food prices as the reason behind the struggle.

Serious implications

The national campaign to end childhood hunger in the country, dubbed No Kid Hungry, sheds light on the magnitude of the problem.

Unfortunately, it has reached the point that middle-income families have skipped meals just to feed their kids. One out of five families admitted that either parents or the children had missed a meal due to the expensive food prices.

Fifty-eight percent of middle-income parents expressed how it has become more challenging to afford food for their kids. Ninety-five percent of them struggle, on a monthly basis, to buy food for their children.

Moreover, parents surveyed are in a distressing situation as they find themselves an "unexpected expense away" from being able to put food on the dinner table. Fifty percent of middle-income parents reported that unexpected expenses such as medical bills or car repairs make it harder for them to afford enough food for their kids.

And, if affording complete meals is already a challenge, how much more is providing three healthy meals every day for the children?

Almost 80 percent of middle-income parents feel the stress and worry in ensuring their young ones are served three nutritious meals a day. It was further discovered that dinner worries them the most.

Sixty-one percent of middle-income parents also admitted a negative effect on their mental health because they have not eaten enough.

Read More: American Kids Go to School Hungry, Cannot Focus On Learning Schools Express

American families 'are hurting'

"Families in America are hurting... No parent should have to make impossible decisions like skipping a meal so their children can eat or live an unexpected car repair away from being able to afford groceries. It doesn't have to be this way, which is why we're working to strengthen and expand nutrition programs that ensure every child in America has access to three meals a day," expressed Senior Vice President of Corporate Partnerships of Share Our Strength Diana Hovey, PR Newswire reported.

Besides the serious effects on parents, the survey also negatively impacted the kids' well-being.

Forty-five percent of middle-income parents have observed that their children's mental health is negatively affected due to not having enough food to eat, while 41 percent noticed a negative effect on their physical health.

The survey also confirmed the importance of the country's food assistance programs as 45 percent and 62 percent of families under the middle and lower income, respectively, have sought help from these programs for the first time.

Related article: Bad News for Parents in the US as Food Prices Soar to 40-year High