Eating healthier isn't getting any easier.

According to data released from Statistics Canada earlier this week, the price of fresh fruits and vegetables soared from their 2014 levels.

The price of vegetables has grown by 11.5 per cent since 2014.

Consumers are facing the highest increases at the register for products such as celery (18.8 per cent), grapefruit (13.2 per cent) and oranges (12.7 per cent), which have skyrocketed.

In comparison, the growth in the price of meat in Canada has been relatively tame, posting 4.4 per cent jump since last year.

Sylvain Charlebois, a professor at the University of Guelph's Food Institute, told CTV News Channel that a low Canadian dollar and climate change are responsible for the rise in prices.

Charlebois said that the weakened dollar, which currently stands at 76.48 cents US, constricts the country's "buying power."

"Importers have to pay more for the same amount of food," he said. "So we have seen significant hikes affecting tomatoes, lettuce and particularly celery in the last month or so."

Charlebois also pointed to major droughts south of the border, including in California and the Midwest, as a reason for the dramatic jump in prices.

"We import in Canada, so we've seen significant price hikes in provinces where there is this heavy reliance on U.S. imports, particularly B.C., Ontario and New Brunswick," he said.

Charlebois said Canadians with the least means are hit the hardest by these increases, as they "don't give a whole lot of chance" for them to afford fruits and vegetables.

He added that those looking to save should take the following approaches when grocery shopping: