Research shows that living near unhealthy food or far from grocery stores has almost no effect on what people eat. A Gram Research analysis of 1,033 Dutch adults found that financial constraints and food insecurity were far more important: people who struggled to afford food ate significantly fewer vegetables and had lower diet quality, regardless of their neighborhood’s food outlets. This suggests that helping people afford nutritious food may work better than simply adding more healthy stores to neighborhoods.
A new study of over 1,000 Dutch adults with lower incomes challenges a popular belief about why some people eat less healthy food. Researchers thought that living far from healthy food options would make people eat worse, but they found something surprising: where grocery stores are located doesn’t matter as much as whether people have enough money to buy healthy food. The study shows that financial stress and food insecurity, not the neighborhood food environment, are the biggest barriers to eating well. This finding suggests that policies helping people afford nutritious food might work better than just adding more healthy food stores to neighborhoods.
Key Statistics
A 2026 cross-sectional study of 1,033 Dutch adults with low socioeconomic position found that only one of eight measures of residential food environment showed a significant association with dietary behavior, and this association weakened when other factors were considered.
Food insecurity and financial scarcity were consistently associated with lower fruit and vegetable consumption and poorer diet quality in the 2026 study, while showing no significant relationship with fast-food consumption.
Path analyses in the 2026 research found no support for the theory that people’s thoughts and attitudes about food mediate the connection between neighborhood food environments and actual eating behavior.
The Quick Take
- What they studied: Whether living near fast-food restaurants or far from fruit and vegetable stores affects what people eat, and whether money problems change this relationship
- Who participated: 1,033 Dutch adults with lower incomes, with extra focus on those struggling financially
- Key finding: Living near unhealthy food or far from healthy food had almost no effect on what people ate. Instead, not having enough money and worrying about affording food were the real reasons people ate fewer vegetables and lower-quality diets
- What it means for you: If you struggle to eat healthy, the problem likely isn’t that your neighborhood lacks good food options. It’s more likely about affording nutritious foods. This suggests that programs helping people buy healthy food might help more than opening new grocery stores
The Research Details
Researchers collected information from 1,033 adults living in the Netherlands, focusing on people with lower incomes. They asked people about what they ate, whether they worried about affording food, and how tight their budgets were. They also looked up where grocery stores, fast-food restaurants, and produce markets were located in each person’s neighborhood using postal codes. Then they analyzed whether the location of food outlets predicted what people actually ate. The study used a method called path analysis to test whether people’s thoughts and attitudes about food explained the connection between their neighborhood and their eating habits.
This approach is important because it tests a popular theory that blames neighborhoods for poor eating habits. By measuring both the actual food environment and people’s financial situations, researchers could see which factor really matters more. This helps policymakers decide whether to invest in opening new stores or in programs that help people afford food
This study has some important strengths: it included over 1,000 people and specifically focused on lower-income populations where diet problems are most common. However, because it’s a snapshot in time rather than following people over months or years, we can’t be completely sure that money problems cause poor eating rather than the other way around. The study also relied on people reporting what they ate, which can be less accurate than measuring actual food purchases
What the Results Show
The residential food environment showed surprisingly weak connections to what people ate. Out of eight different measures tested, only one showed a clear link: people who lived farther from fast-food restaurants ate slightly less fast food. However, even this connection became weaker when researchers accounted for other factors like attitudes and beliefs about food. The study found no evidence that people’s thoughts and attitudes about food explained why the neighborhood environment might affect eating habits. In other words, the food environment didn’t work through the pathway researchers expected. Food insecurity, meaning worry about affording enough food, did not change how the food environment affected eating habits.
The most striking finding was about money and food insecurity. People who struggled to afford food consistently ate fewer fruits and vegetables and had lower overall diet quality. Importantly, financial stress did not affect how much fast food people ate, suggesting that fast food isn’t necessarily cheaper or more appealing to people with money problems. This pattern held true across different groups and didn’t depend on where people lived
Many earlier studies suggested that neighborhood food environments strongly influence what people eat, especially for lower-income groups. This study challenges that assumption by showing that financial constraints matter much more. The findings align with growing research suggesting that food affordability, not availability, is the primary barrier to healthy eating for people with limited incomes
The study is a snapshot, not a long-term follow-up, so we can’t prove that money problems cause poor eating. People reported their own eating habits, which may not be completely accurate. The study focused on Dutch adults, so results might differ in other countries with different food systems and social support programs. The researchers also note that their measures of the food environment were fairly simple and might not capture all the ways neighborhoods influence eating
The Bottom Line
According to Gram Research analysis, if you have a limited budget, focus on affordable ways to eat more vegetables, such as frozen or canned options, rather than assuming you need to change where you shop. Policymakers should prioritize programs that help lower-income people afford nutritious food, such as vouchers for produce or subsidies for healthy items, alongside or instead of efforts to open new grocery stores in underserved areas. These findings suggest that affordability programs may have stronger effects on diet quality than environmental changes alone
This research is most relevant to people with lower incomes who struggle to afford healthy food, policymakers designing food assistance programs, and public health officials deciding how to improve nutrition in communities. It’s less relevant to people with higher incomes or those living in food deserts where no stores exist at all
If affordability programs are implemented, improvements in diet quality could appear within weeks to months as people gain access to more vegetables and fruits. However, lasting changes in eating habits typically take several months to a year to establish
Frequently Asked Questions
Does living near fast food restaurants make you eat more unhealthy food?
A 2026 study of 1,033 Dutch adults found that living near fast food had almost no effect on eating habits. Financial stress and food insecurity were far stronger predictors of poor diet quality than neighborhood food outlets.
Why can’t poor people eat healthy food?
Research shows it’s primarily about money, not location. People with limited budgets struggle to afford fruits and vegetables, which are often more expensive than processed foods, regardless of which stores are nearby.
Would opening more grocery stores in poor neighborhoods help people eat better?
A 2026 study suggests that opening stores alone may not help much. The research indicates that programs helping people afford healthy food would likely be more effective than simply adding more food outlets to neighborhoods.
How does food insecurity affect what people eat?
The 2026 research found that people worried about affording food ate significantly fewer vegetables and had lower overall diet quality. Interestingly, food insecurity did not increase fast-food consumption, suggesting affordability of healthy food is the main issue.
Want to Apply This Research?
- Track your weekly spending on fruits and vegetables and your daily vegetable servings. This helps you see whether budget increases lead to better eating, independent of where you shop
- Use the app to find affordable produce options in your area, such as seasonal sales or bulk discounts, rather than focusing on store location. Set a weekly vegetable budget goal and track whether you meet it
- Monitor your diet quality score alongside your food spending over 8 to 12 weeks. This long-term view helps you see whether affordability changes actually improve what you eat
This research is observational and cannot prove that financial constraints directly cause poor eating habits. Results are from Dutch adults and may not apply to other populations or countries with different food systems. If you have concerns about your diet or food insecurity, consult a healthcare provider or registered dietitian for personalized advice. This article is for informational purposes and should not replace professional medical or nutritional guidance.
This research translation is published by Gram Research, the science division of Gram, an AI-powered nutrition tracking app.