Here Are the Grocery Items That Will Be Hit Hardest by Price Increases

Everything’s expensive at the grocery stores these days – and sadly, that’s just not gonna change any time soon. Throughout 2025, food prices gradually crept up by almost 3%, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and its Consumer Price Index (CPI) for Food. The USDA has now released its outlook report on how prices will look throughout the rest of the year, and some key items are set to impact your wallet even more.

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So, what can you expect to pay more for this year? Sadly, it’s a lot of the basics. Here’s what the USDA predicts will be pricier by the end of 2026, and where available, by how much. 

The Items With The Highest Predicted Increases Are:

Beef and Veal

The USDA is predicting that beef and veal prices will increase by 5.5% throughout 2026, driven by a smaller supply pool (due to declining herd sizes) and consistently high demand. Interestingly, prices for both had fallen slightly at the start of 2026 – but they saw a whopping 15% increase throughout 2025. 

Other Meats

The picture for other meats is even more bleak. According to USDA data, all your other animal proteins (that aren’t beef and veal, poultry, or pork) are set to increase in price by 6.5% throughout the year. 

Sugar and Sweets

Well, this is very bad news for candy lovers (and at Sporked, that’s kind of a given). Having shot up in price by 5.7% throughout 2025 and 1% at the top of 2026, sugar and sweets are now estimated to increase by 6.7% for the rest of the year. 

Nonalcoholic Drinks

Nonalcoholic drinks had become steadily more expensive in 2025, driven partly by higher coffee prices worldwide. Now, they look set to increase by 5.2%. We’d imagine that the higher price of sugar, discussed above, will probably have something to do with that, too. 

Fish and Seafood

Although fish and seafood are set to get more expensive, the price rise for both is ever-so-slightly more modest than for other items. Your sea-sourced fare is set to get approximately 4% more expensive throughout 2026.

Processed Fruits and Vegetables

Processed fruits and veggies – your canned tomatoes and peaches – are looking as though they’ll increase by 4% in 2026. This follows a several-point percentage rise in 2025. 

Cereal and Bakery Products

You’re gonna have to fork out just a little more for those tasty marshmallow cereals this year, folks. Cereal and bakery products are set to increase by 4.3% through the year. 

What About Everything Else?

Generally speaking, things will be on average more expensive by the end of 2026, with the USDA predicting that prices for all food will increase by 3.1%. If you’re buying food for your home, this’ll thankfully be slightly less – bills are set to be around 2.5% more expensive – while food bought away from home will increase by 3.7%, if predictions pan out. Guess it’s time to start shopping at those cheaper grocery stores.