Is Your Grocery Bill Expensive? This Meal May Be To Blame

Americans feeling the pinch at the grocery checkout may want to ignore what they’ve been told all their life and skip breakfast.

The price of eggs increased 3.2% in December, more than any other grocery item, according to inflation data released Wednesday. A dozen large, grade-A eggs averaged $4.15 in December, a 65% increase from the prior year.

Egg prices have soared this year as avian influenza has ripped through America’s poultry farms, killing millions of egg-laying hens. Eggs, despite occupying little space in the grocery store, have had a big impact on prices this year. In the last twelve months, “eggflation” has accounted for nearly 1.5% of the increase in total inflation.

Higher egg prices have been a thorn in the side of consumers all year, but they’ve been a boon to egg producers. Last week, Cal-Maine Foods, America’s largest egg producer, reported sales grew 80% in its most recent fiscal quarter. 

Which Grocery Aisles Got More and Less Expensive?

Grocery prices rose 0.3% in December, driven higher by plenty of breakfast items other than eggs. The price of bacon rose 2.3%, while bread—and presumably toast—prices climbed 0.7%, and flour rose 1.8%. Roasted coffee cost 1.3% more in December compared with November. 

Shopping for lunch and dinner hurt a little bit less, especially for meat eaters. Bacon prices may have risen, but pork chops were 2.8% cheaper than the month before. The cost of ground beef, fresh chicken, and fresh fish also declined. 

It also got cheaper to have a sweet tooth. Ice cream prices fell 1.5%, cookies fell 0.9%, and fresh fruits declined 1.1%, driven by a 3.4% drop in the price of oranges. Carbonated drink prices were 2% lower than in November.