As grocery prices climb, Tennessee families cut fresh produce, turn to processed food

For many American families, the produce aisle is starting to feel less like a routine grocery stop and more like a budget dilemma.

As food prices rise across the country, families are feeling the pressure, and, according to a recent survey in Tennessee, the additional costs are directly affecting grocery shopping habits. 

What's happening?

According to a report from the Nashville Tennessean, Advance America surveyed 3,004 households across the country in May 2026, offering a snapshot of how higher food prices are shaping buying habits in Tennessee.

The survey shows that, compared with last year, Tennessee families say they are paying about $26 more each month for fruits and vegetables, which works out to roughly a 10% increase.

North Dakota, Idaho, Arkansas, Georgia, and New Jersey reported bigger jumps than Tennessee, with prices increasing as much as 38%, but even this smaller increase is still influencing what families choose to buy.

Families are responding in several ways to cope with higher prices: 20% say they are buying more frozen fruits and vegetables, 13% are checking multiple stores for better deals, 9% have stopped purchasing certain fruits, and 6% are turning to cheaper processed foods. Overall, 51% say their diet feels less healthy than it did two or three years ago.

The strain is also emotional, with 40% of families saying grocery prices leave them frustrated and 25% saying they feel angry, the Nashville Tennessean reported.

Why does it matter?

For nearly one-third of families, healthy eating now feels financially out of reach, and 28% say it is becoming unrealistic for their budgets.

Cost is also pushing 48% of respondents to eat more processed foods because they are cheaper than fresh produce.

When fresh fruits and vegetables become harder to afford, families may lean more heavily on cheaper, shelf-stable foods that are less aligned with the diets many parents want for themselves and their children.

What's being done?

The survey shows that families are already adapting in practical ways. Some are comparing prices across stores, while others are shifting from fresh produce to longer-lasting frozen options that reduce food waste.

Still, the survey suggests these workarounds go only so far. When people stop buying certain fruits altogether or move toward cheaper processed foods, it signals that rising prices are affecting not just spending habits, but also daily nutrition.

Grocery inflation is changing what "healthy eating" looks like in real life. For many Tennessee households, staying healthy increasingly depends on finding affordable substitutes rather than simply buying what they want.

Laura McCutcheon, vice president of marketing at Advance America, summed it up this way: "Fresh fruit and vegetables should feel like basic groceries, not premium add-ons. When parents are skipping produce for themselves to keep buying it for their kids, that tells you everything about the kind of quiet sacrifices families are making right now."

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