The omnivorous diet is waning, possibly due to high food prices in Canada, report suggests

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“You can go out to have breakfast for two, and it can easily cost you $50,” says Armağan Özbilge, an assistant professor in Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Management and coauthor of the report. “Most people probably buy coffees here and there and try to limit their spending outside. And they try to consume food at home rather than (dining) out — most certainly, to save a buck.”

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Although most deal-seeking shopping strategies have waned since fall 2024, Canadians continue to adjust, seeking out more sales and discounts (44.4 per cent), using more coupons (23.3 per cent), searching for deals online (23.7 per cent) and shopping at cheaper stores (23.2 per cent).

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“I think at some point, they (stopped) expecting that everything will go back to normal. Then, ‘OK, this is going to stay, and I better adapt to it,'” says Özbilge.

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For the first time, the report included the option of using food-rescue or food-surplus apps, such as Flashfood, FoodHero and Too Good To Go. At 8.5 per cent, Taylor says they’re starting to gain awareness. “It can definitely help actively manage grocery bills,” she says. “Hopefully, that can help get people through this really tough time.”

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As a sign of the financial strain Canadians are under, more than one third (34 per cent) report dipping into their savings or borrowing money to pay for food, a return to the high seen in fall 2024 and an increase of six per cent since last spring.

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The report suggests that the “Buy Canadian” movement is strong but not as robust as it once was. Compared to fall 2025, the share of people “often” choosing local foods dropped from 41.5 per cent to 31.6 per cent. Nearly half (47.8 per cent), the largest share, said they “sometimes” opt for local products, suggesting that people are still looking at product origins, but it’s not necessarily the deciding factor.

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“That becomes a luxury,” says Özbilge, adding that even amid the food affordability crisis, people are still prioritizing Canadian-made food. “It just shows how resilient the communities are in Canada.”

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Affordability continues to dominate Canadians’ food values, reported by 45.5 per cent of respondents, well beyond nutrition (24.9 per cent) and taste (15.6 per cent). When it comes to the affordability-nutrition dilemma, “affordability is winning big time,” says Charlebois, but the report suggests that the Health Canada front-of-package nutrition symbol, mandatory as of Jan. 1, is influencing decisions.

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“People are very interested in where their food comes from. And so now they’re also trending toward what’s actually in their foods,” says Taylor.

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Most Canadians (63.4 per cent) reported being “somewhat” or “significantly less likely” to buy products based on the symbol. “If you want to create a level playing field and force industry to actually come up with better products, that’s the way to go,” says Charlebois. “You empower consumers with the information.”

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As much as people might want to make food choices based on how good something tastes or how nourishing it is, this isn’t feasible for many, says Taylor. “At the end of the day, our budget is our budget, and that’s all we have,” she adds. “And we’re already seeing people making different choices than they were.”

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Notably, the spring 2026 edition showed a drop in Canadians eating an omnivorous diet, with no specific restrictions, and a rise in flexitarians, people who eat plant-based foods with occasional animal products. “That really mirrors what’s going on with food prices right now,” says Taylor.

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Though most Canadians (55 per cent) still report an omnivorous diet, its share has dropped by 6.6 per cent since spring 2025 and 12.6 per cent since fall 2024. Several diets saw increases over the past 12 months, including flexitarian (+2.6 per cent), paleo (+1.6 per cent) and vegetarian (+1 per cent). Nearly one in 10 (9.4 per cent) reported following a flexitarian diet.