Food Prices Database, 2003-04

The Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP) Food Prices Database presents the cost of these consumed foods for 2003-04. It shows the actual cost of an apple consumed, the cost of a glass of juice drunk, the cost of lasagna eaten, etc. For example, did you know that when you purchase a whole chicken and only consume the meat, your price per pound eaten is actually twice the price per pound purchased? This is because the weight of the skin and bones is about half of the whole chicken purchased. The information in this database should be of interest to nutrition educators and economists who wish to compare relative prices of different foods as consumed, rather than the purchase price.

Specifically, the CNPP Food Prices Database, 2003-04 provides 2003-04 average national prices of approximately 4,600 foods in an “as-consumed” form. These foods include foods that are consumed alone (apples, carrots, etc.), made as a recipe and include different food ingredients (noodle casserole, chicken pot pie, etc.), and commercially prepared foods (frozen dinners, canned soups, etc.). Food “as consumed” differs from food “as-purchased,” as the former accounts for changes in weight due to cooking and excludes refuse, such as the peel on vegetables and bones on meat.