Why healthy eating shouldn’t be a luxury: A message to the Food Strategy Advisory Board
An abundance of fruit and veg at a Bread and Butter food club
As the government refreshes its National Food Strategy, we welcome the renewed focus and the calibre of those joining the Food Strategy Advisory Board. Recognising the links between food, health, and sustainability is long overdue.
But let’s not ignore the uncomfortable truth: for many, unhealthy food isn’t a lifestyle choice. It’s what’s affordable.
Here at The Bread and Butter Thing, we recently asked almost 10,000 of our members about their lives. The results are stark:
45% have less than £50 left per month after rent and energy.
60% are behind on utility bills.
69% couldn’t manage an unexpected £100 cost without borrowing.
These are people in and out of work, doing their best—but just scraping by. For them, the affordability of food doesn’t just influence health. It determines it.
That’s why we urge the Advisory Board to proceed with care. Fiscal tools like taxes on ultra-processed food (UPF) might drive reformulation, but if they’re not paired with policies that improve access to fresh, nutritious and affordable food, we risk pushing healthy options even further out of reach.
Food Clubs Show What's Possible. At TBBT, we’ve seen what’s possible with the right support:
81% of members say they now access better food
79% eat more fruit and veg
47% have improved their diets—all without stigma or means-testing
Our food clubs work because they’re embedded in communities, powered by dignity, and accessible without referrals. They reduce isolation, help people stretch their budgets, and offer real alternatives to reliance on food banks.
“Helped me to feed myself and my family instead of skipping meals. I would also never buy fruit or veg as they were too expensive, and I’d class them as a luxury I couldn’t afford.”
– Stobhill Member
If the Food Strategy is to succeed, it must treat food affordability as a health issue. Without that, well-meaning policies may end up penalising the very people they’re meant to support.
