CNBC: Prices for ‘all food’ categories up 29% since pandemic

CNBC is highlighting fresh Bureau of Labor Statistics data showing that prices across ‘all food’ categories have climbed roughly 29% since the pandemic hit, a cumulative jump that continues to squeeze household budgets even as headline inflation cools.

What the numbers actually say

From March 2020 to December 2025, prices for food at home rose 29.4%, according to Consumer Price Index data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. That is well above the 25.6% rise for all other items excluding food over the same window, per CPI comparisons.

Higher food costs have pushed the average monthly household grocery budget to nearly $700. The pain has not been evenly distributed across the aisle.

Where the pain is concentrated

Beef products have seen the sharpest price increases since the pandemic began, with beef roasts up 73.8%, beef steaks up 57.0%, and ground beef up 52.5%. Egg prices are up 51.4% since March 2020, though they declined 13.2% from December 2024 to December 2025 after earlier spikes.

Coffee has also become a pressure point. Recent CPI readings have been driven higher by categories like beef and coffee, which have hit record highs.

Do you want to see how to make more plays? Do you want to find gains yourself?

Unusual Whales helps you find market opportunities through our market tide, historical options flow, GEX, and much, much more.

Create a free account here to start conquering the market with Unusual Whales.

Why it still matters for the tape

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Price Outlook projects a 2.3% increase in food-at-home prices in 2026, all but confirming that elevated grocery prices are likely to persist. That keeps grocers, packaged food names, and protein producers directly in the crosshairs of the consumer-stress narrative.

Just over half of Americans say grocery prices are a major source of stress, making it the most commonly cited financial worry in a recent AP-NORC poll. Traders should note that some of the same goods seeing the biggest price increases could become even more expensive under new U.S. tariffs.

Options market and stocks to watch

Watch for continued sensitivity across the food supply chain to CPI prints and tariff headlines:

• WMT — Walmart’s grocery share makes it a barometer for how households absorb sticker shock. Watch for guidance on private-label mix.
• KR — Kroger is directly exposed to food-at-home CPI. Watch margin commentary and traffic vs. ticket size.
• COST — Costco’s bulk model tends to benefit when consumers trade down. Watch member renewals and food comps.
• TSN — Tyson sits on the beef price story. Watch for whether elevated beef prices translate to margin recovery or demand destruction.
• SYY — Sysco is levered to food-away-from-home, which continues to run hotter than grocery. Watch restaurant volume trends.

For more on macro and consumer prints, see the latest market coverage on Unusual Whales.

Want more market intelligence? Create your free Unusual Whales account for options flow, market tide, GEX, and the full toolkit.