It's not cheap to eat here

I'm sure this is the post you've all been waiting for where I show you the reality of food prices in the North.

There aren't any roads connecting Nunavut to the rest of Canada, not to mention that Iqaluit is located on island. Transportation of goods is clearly a challenge this territory is faced with. It's no surprise that consumers must absorb the cost of shipping for all items purchased. Some foods are subsidized in order to promote healthy eating, but I'm not really sure why some food items fall under the subsidized category, while other foods that seem equally healthy aren't. Junk food prices, as you will see, are through the roof!

Fruits/Veggies

Dairy

Juice 

Juice wins the award for the most ridiculous price! Cans of juice are pretty much the only option at about 4$

Tropicana 1.89L wins the even more ridiculous price award at $19.19 

And you thought the store brand was a better option... 

Doesn't look like the best value, or the best product for that matter! 

Random Other Things

Being aware of this reality before I left Ottawa, I packed myself a little suitcase of food! So glad I did!!

Who knew a 30$ grocery from Hartman's would go such a long way!

Among all these crazy food prices, I was also able to find a few items I came across that had at comparable prices to those in Ottawa..

Eggs for $3.95

Frozen Berries at $7.79

Chicken for $19

And La Vache qui Rit at $5.45

These are examples of grocery store prices but people from Iqaluit have other means of getting food to the table. More on how "sealift" and "airmail" works at a later date.  A "100-mile diet" though is pretty much limited to hunting, and berry picking on the tundra. Gardening isn't really possible here because the growing season isn't long enough. Since temperatures don't get hot enough for long enough in the summer time, maybe a green house would be a good solution?