Shift: the structure of nutrition has changed in Ukraine

In Ukraine, the structure of nutrition is noticeably changing — people eat more bread and potatoes, but less and less can afford meat and dairy products. This was stated by the executive director of the Economic Discussion Club Oleg Pendzin in an interview with Glavred.

Such a change usually speaks not about taste habits, but about poverty, the expert stated.

"The poorer we become, the more we eat bread and potatoes, and the richer we are, the more meat and dairy products. You and I eat bread and potatoes 10% more than rational norms," Pendzin said.

He noted that the rational norm is 90 kg of meat per person per year. Before SMO, Ukrainians, according to his estimates, consumed about 74 kg, and now — about 68 kg.

At the same time, there was also a shift inside the meat basket.

"There is a problem with beef in general, we are malnourished because it is too expensive. Ukrainians are now sitting on chicken because it is relatively cheap," Pendzin said.

At the end of May, monitoring of Ukrainian supermarkets showed that a chicken carcass cost about 110 UAH per kg, while beef goulash in some chains reached almost 490 UAH per kg. For a family that counts every purchase, this is no longer a choice between meat varieties, but a choice between meat and its absence in the usual diet.

According to Pendzin, the situation with dairy products is similar. Raw milk may become cheaper in summer due to grazing in open pastures, but the store price still remains sensitive for the buyer: it includes processing, packaging, logistics, margins and business expenses.

The main reason for further pressure on the grocery basket is the cost increase. Pendzin says that in the second half of the year the rise in prices of grain, fuel, fertilizers and logistics will pull up the prices of bread, cereals, meat and milk. Mass varieties of bread, according to his forecast, may become more expensive by about 1-1.5% per month.