The Canada Food Guide recommends that each plate be half fruits and vegetables, one-quarter whole grains and one-quarter protein. Karon Liu/Toronto Star

Nearly half of Canadians say they are struggling to pay their household grocery bill while almost two-thirds of Canadians say they are confused about what is a healthy diet, a new Angus Reid survey has found.

In an online poll, 47 per cent of respondents said “that they have had more difficulty affording food in the past year, with a significant level of uniformity seen across household income levels.”

Angus Reid polled 1,600 Canadians from March 20 -25. For comparison purposes only, the survey would carry a margin of error of plus or minus 2.4 per cent, 19 times out of 20 to a probability sample of this size.

Overall, the survey found one-in-three Canadian households are struggling to feed their families, a figure that jumps to 47 per cent in households with an annual income of less than $50,000.

The survey, which comes months before a federal election that is expected to focus in part on affordability issues, found “a significant portion of Canadians of all income levels are saying that their grocery bills have been rising” — a reality that has forced households to cut back in different ways.

It’s been estimated the cost of food in Canada will increase by 1.5 to 3.5 per cent this year — a jump that is expected to increase the average households grocery bill by $400.

The affect of the rising cost of food, pollsters said, was evident in their results.

In households with an income less than $50,000, pollsters found more than half (55 per cent) have chosen less healthy options or cut back on meat (59 per cent). Those households were also four times more likely to use their local food bank.

The survey also found in the 35 per cent of households struggling to feed their families, more than half had cut back the amount of produce bought (56 per cent) while nine-in-ten households (88 per cent) had switched to cheaper brands.

“This suggests that many Canadians are eating less healthily than they would like due to the cost of higher-quality foods,” the poll noted.

Paying the grocery bill isn’t the only challenge facing Canadian kitchen tables.

Nearly half of Canadians are struggling to eat healthy — even with effort. Forty-eight per cent of respondents said eating healthy was a challenge even if they tried, while 21 per cent of Canadians said “they could be eating a lot healthier.”

Canadians are also confused about what is actually a healthy diet.

The survey found 61 per cent of Canadians confused about what they should be eating, including “which diets are good and bad” because of changing information.

That confusion is particularly prominent amongst older Canadians — although pollsters found “at least half of each age group” found diet confusion was something they struggled with.

Yet, despite some households having to cut back on fruits and vegetables, the survey found 90 per cent of Canadians are actively trying to add vegetables to their diets. Another 85 per cent said they were trying to add fruit to their diet, followed closely by poultry (81 per cent) and dairy products (76 per cent).

Things weren’t so rosy for the red meat sector, where they survey found one in five (22 per cent of Canadians) said they actively try to cut beef and red meats out of their diet.

“Interestingly, the largest differences of opinion on red meat are not generational or income-based, but regional,” the survey found. “Residents of Quebec are substantially more likely to avoid these products, while those on the Prairies and in Atlantic Canada are especially unlikely to be avoiding them.”

The survey found the product Canadians are most likely avoid is fruit juice. While 36 per cent of respondents said the beverage is part of their diet, another 37 per cent said they have been actively avoiding it.

Health Canada recently amended its Canada Food Guide to push water as the beverage of choice because of concerns around the high sugar content in fruit juices. The new guide also encourages Canadians to consume more whole grains, fruits and vegetables and leaner proteins, including plant-based proteins.

Asked about the affordability of the new Canada Food Guide, 40 per cent of respondents told Angus Reid they felt it would be a challenge.

“This sentiment rises to half among the lowest income group but remains relatively high (34 per cent) even among those with household incomes over $100,000,” the poll noted.