Internal federal research found one in five Canadians skipped meals in the past six months, while nearly half bought less meat, dairy or fresh produce because of rising food costs.

Runaway food prices are driving Canadians to skip meals and abandon healthy eating, according to internal Agriculture Canada research, as Ottawa’s own data show the average household can no longer afford to follow Canada’s Food Guide.

An internal report, Survey On Consumer Perceptions Of Food: Wave VII, found 71 per cent of Canadians changed their food purchasing habits over the past year because of rising prices, according to Blacklock’s Reporter.

Suffice to say, soaring grocery prices are forcing Canadians to go hungry.