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With the inflation rate at a 30 year high, 80 per cent of Canadians say they've changed their food buying habits because of increased costs.

The data released today, Feb. 22, by the Angus Reid Institute, also shows 62 per cent of Canadians are eating out less and one-quarter are drinking less alcohol.

Overall, 43 per cent of Canadians say it is financially difficult to feed their household.

For families with children under 13 in their household, almost 90 per cent said they'd changed their food shopping habits in response to rising prices.

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Sixty per cent of those with children say they've switched to cheaper brands at the grocery store, and 42 per cent of those without children say the same.

A little more than a third of Canadians have cut back on eating meat and 21 per cent have cut back on fresh fruit and vegetables.

Four per cent of those surveyed have used the food bank to get their groceries.

More than half the population of Saskatchewan (53 per cent), Manitoba (53 per cent) and Atlantic Canada (56 per cent) say it is difficult to feed their household.

Unsurprisingly, those in the lowest income brackets found it more difficult to put food on the table.

Sixty-four per cent of households earning $25,000 or less found it difficult to very difficult to feed themselves, while only 34 per cent of households earning more than $100,000 found it difficult.

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Surprisingly, even 24 per cent of households making more than $200,000 a year found it difficult or very difficult to keep everyone fed.

In British Columbia, 50 per cent of those surveyed found it difficult to feed their household with the Atlantic provinces finding it the most difficult with 56 per cent struggling.

Quebecers had the easiest time putting food on the table, but still, a little more than one-third of the population found it difficult or very difficult to feed their families.

The Angus Reid survey also questioned Canadians about their opinions on the country's supply management system, which controls the price of dairy, chicken, turkey, and egg production and tariffs on foreign imports and sets prices farmers receive for products.

The survey found that more than one quarter (27) per cent wanted supply management policies to be relaxed because of the increase in the price of groceries, while one-third want the system scrapped.

Forty per cent want supply management to remain as is.

Angus Reid surveyed 5,002 Canadian adults who are members of the Angus Reid Forum with a margin of error of plus or minus two percentage points, 19 times out of 20 times. A second survey was a randomized sample of 1,622 Canadian adults who are members of the Angus Reid Forum.

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