Tariffs Are Undermining Parents Trying to Make Healthier Food Choices for Their Families

• Vegetable prices are up nearly 40% since last year, putting healthy food further out of reach for families.

• Tariffs are making fresh, whole foods more expensive.

Going to the grocery store costs a lot more than it used to. Vegetable prices have gone up almost 40% in July alone, and families are feeling it at the checkout. For many families, this means choosing between what's healthy and what they can afford.

Healthy Food Is Becoming a Luxury

We all want to feed our families better—more fresh fruits and vegetables, less processed food. But when healthy options cost so much more, many families simply can't make that choice. Kids still need to eat, so parents buy what fits their budget. Too often, that means reaching for cheaper processed foods instead of the fresh produce their families need.

Why Food Costs Keep Going Up

The biggest reason food costs more is tariffs on imported vegetables and food. When we tax fruits and vegetables from other countries, it makes domestic prices rise. At the same time, American farms are facing their own crisis. Many farm workers are worried about immigration raids, which has made some too nervous to show up to work. In June, farm owners and industry representatives reported that up to 70% of workers stopped reporting to work due to ICE raids around the country. This has disrupted farm operations, leaving crops to rot and disrupting the food supply chain, which results in higher prices for consumers.  This affects everything from produce to meat—ground beef costs 12% more, for example.

Trade Policy vs. Family Health

When healthy food becomes too expensive, all our efforts to improve family nutrition and prevent disease become much harder. If we really want families to eat better, we need to make sure they can actually afford to do it.