19 Groceries Driving Up Your Bill the Most During Pandemic

Frozen fruits and vegetables are one of just 16 types of grocery items that increased in price by more than 5% between February and June. Unlike many of the other groceries on this list, the price of frozen fruits and vegetables over the past decade has not increased as much as the overall price of all groceries, only spiking recently. The price of frozen fruits and vegetables increased by 3.6% from February 2010 to February 2020, while the price of all items has increased by 19.3%.

Because of issues related to supply chain and demand in China that caused the price of pork to increase in recent months, the price of bacon, breakfast sausage, and other related products has also increased. The recent price increase of these breakfast meats of 5.5% between February and June 2020 is part of a longer-term increase. From February 2010 through February 2020, the price of these products increased by close to 30%.

Like shelf stable fish and seafood, frozen fish and seafood can be kept for long periods of time. Foods that last for long periods have been in high demand since the pandemic began in the U.S. The consumer price index of frozen fish and seafood increased by 5.6% from February to June.

The price of breakfast cereal had been declining since late October 2015 and was just 1.8% more expensive in November 2019 than in February 2010. Once people started working from home and were more likely to eat breakfast there as well, cereal prices began to spike. From each month from February through June 2020, the price of breakfast cereal increased by more than 1%, relative to a decade ago, growing by a total of 5.9%.

In spite of the recent spike, the price of canned vegetables has not increased nearly as much as the typical grocery item over the past decade. Even with the 6.4% price increase from February to June 2020, canned vegetables are just 12.3% more expensive as compared to a decade ago. Comparatively, the typical grocery item was 18.9% more expensive in June 2020 than in February 2010.