Packing Your Kid’s Lunch Will Be More Expensive This Year. The Price of Bread Alone Has Gone up 30% Since 2020.

August 11, 2023

As parents prepare for the back-to-school season, the cost of packing school lunches has risen significantly, with groceries like bread, ham, lettuce, condiments, apples, and juice experiencing price increases of 5% to 15% compared to last year. Bread prices alone have surged by nearly 30% since 2020. These price hikes are contributing to the overall food inflation rate of 4.9% in July, which remains relatively high despite efforts by the Federal Reserve to cool the economy. Commodity costs, such as the impact of Russia’s actions in Ukraine on grain exports, and corporate decisions to raise prices for higher profits are among the factors driving these increases.

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