70% of Low-income Parents Worry About Affording Groceries

As costs continue to rise, parents report buying less food and struggling to afford both household bills and groceries.

WASHINGTON, June 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- As inflation and grocery prices reach new highs, new national research commissioned by No Kid Hungry finds parents living on low incomes are being forced to make impossible tradeoffs between stocking the fridge, buying medicine, and paying household bills. The polling underscores the devastating impact of last summer's historic cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) that have already caused 3.5 million people to lose access to the nation's most effective anti-hunger program.

The results show that parents are having to make difficult decisions about which basic needs to prioritize and which expenses must be delayed or sacrificed, with more than 8 in 10 parents (83%)* reporting being unable to buy all the necessary food to feed their families.

For many kids, this summer will be particularly hard as parents are forced to take on new jobs or extra hours to afford groceries. As a parent in Minnesota shared, "Having to work nights cleaning buildings to make extra money has taken time away from me watching my kids play sports and spending any kind of time with them in the afternoons. Sometimes it feels like I don't see much of them at all."

Key findings from the report include:

• Families are Being Forced to Make Impossible Choices
  • 70% worry they will have to choose between paying bills and buying healthy food for their kids.
    • In the past 12 months, 45% put off paying a utility bill, 43% held off on necessary automobile repairs, and 30% skipped meals so their kids could eat.
  • 55% cut back on groceries — the single most common financial sacrifice families report.

• Children and Families are Paying a Hidden Cost
  • 54% said they or a spouse/partner have had to take on extra work or a second job; among them, 26% report fewer home-cooked meals and 26% report less supervision for their older kids.
  • 36% say their children were at least sometimes not eating enough because they could not afford food.

• Federal Grocery Benefits are a Lifeline for Families
  • 90% say they would cut back significantly on food without SNAP.
  • 80% say SNAP is the primary way their children are able to eat nutritious food on some days;
  • 85% say SNAP helped their family reach a better financial situation

"The affordability crisis is reshaping family life across America, forcing parents to work longer hours, take time away from their kids, and make impossible tradeoffs just to keep the fridge full," said Anne Filipic, CEO of Share Our Strength, the organization behind the No Kid Hungry campaign. "SNAP is the most effective tool we have to ensure families are able to afford groceries even when the economy fails them. Yet, Congressional cuts to the program have caused millions of families to lose benefits, with deeper cuts ahead. Congress has the power right now to step in and pass a Farm Bill that reverses these cuts and gives families the relief they deserve. Without action, it will be a hungry summer ahead for millions of kids in this country."

The Farm Bill, federal legislation that oversees SNAP, is currently under consideration in the Senate, with proposals to delay some of the most egregious cuts to SNAP. Without explicit action, these cuts could be locked in until 2031, or longer.

Visit NoKidHungry.org to learn more about this research and our work to ensure every child has the healthy food they need.

 This survey features key findings from parents surveyed in May 2026, including a national sample (n=1,202). Key survey findings can be found here.

About No Kid Hungry
No child should go hungry in America. But millions of kids in the United States live with hunger. No Kid Hungry is working to end childhood hunger by helping launch and improve programs that give all kids the healthy food they need to thrive. This is a problem we know how to solve. No Kid Hungry is a campaign of Share Our Strength, an organization committed to ending hunger and poverty. Join us at NoKidHungry.org

MEDIA CONTACT: Georgina Seal, [email protected]

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SOURCE No Kid Hungry