SummitPlatePress kit
SummitPlate Grocery Price Index Press Kit
A journalist-and-blogger-friendly resource for the SummitPlate Family Dinner Cost Index. Source-backed data, citation guidance, story angles, and downloadable datasets for anyone covering grocery prices, restaurant costs, or family food budgets.
What is the SummitPlate Family Dinner Cost Index?
The SummitPlate Family Dinner Cost Index is a monthly tracker that turns public Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and USDA food price data into practical family dinner guidance. It covers the food-at-home CPI, food-away-from-home CPI, five key staple prices (eggs, ground beef, chicken breast, milk, white bread), and SummitPlate planning estimates for a basic home dinner for four and a casual takeout dinner for four.
The index is designed for journalists, bloggers, personal finance writers, food journalists, and resource page editors who need a citable, regularly-updated data point on what grocery prices mean for family dinner decisions. It is updated monthly from the latest BLS release.
Latest update: May 2026
What got more expensive for dinner — and what families should do this week.
As of the May update, the latest BLS food price data runs through April. The signal is still useful: broad grocery costs rose, restaurant meals kept climbing, eggs eased, and ground beef stayed expensive.
For attribution
In May 2026, the latest available official data showed the broad grocery basket higher than January, restaurant meals still climbing, eggs easing, and ground beef still expensive. The practical takeaway is to plan one low-lift backup dinner and one beef-stretching meal before either turns into takeout.
Data through: Latest BLS food price data available as of May 21, 2026: April 2026
Key stats at a glance
All numbers are from the latest available BLS data through Latest BLS food price data available as of May 21, 2026: April 2026. Home dinner and takeout estimates are SummitPlate planning figures, not official BLS series.
Food at home CPI
320.9
BLS urban consumer food-at-home index (1982-84=100).
Restaurant CPI
393.5
BLS food-away-from-home index (1982-84=100).
Home dinner for 4
$17.40
SummitPlate planning estimate for a basic dinner at home.
Takeout dinner for 4
$53.00
SummitPlate casual takeout estimate for four.
Eggs per dozen
$2.25
BLS U.S. city average for Grade A large eggs.
Ground beef per lb
$6.90
BLS U.S. city average for 100% ground beef.
Since January 2021, cumulative food inflation per BLS data: groceries +27.3%, restaurant meals +31%, ground beef +74%, eggs +53.5%.See the full index page for the complete dataset.
Story angles and hooks
Four angles that make the SummitPlate Grocery Price Index useful for articles, newsletters, and resource roundups.
Grocery Inflation Pressure on Family Dinners
The SummitPlate Family Dinner Cost Index tracks how rising grocery and restaurant prices squeeze the routine family dinner. In the latest data, a planned home dinner for four costs roughly a third of what a casual takeout dinner for four costs — and both numbers are still climbing. For families who feel like dinner got permanently more expensive, the index gives a monthly quantified read on the squeeze.
The Home Dinner vs. Takeout Gap
Restaurant meals have been rising faster than groceries, widening the gap between cooking at home and ordering in. The latest SummitPlate data shows casual takeout for four costs more than 3× a basic planned dinner at home. That gap is not just a budget line — it's a decision families make multiple times a week, and the tracker gives journalists a concrete number to cite.
Food Waste and Duplicate Grocery Buying
When grocery prices are high, food waste becomes an invisible second expense. The SummitPlate data pairs price tracking with practical meal-planning context: overlapping ingredients across meals, intentional leftovers, and avoiding duplicate buys that turn into fridge orphans. For stories about family food budgets, this angle connects price data to behavior.
Family Meal Planning Under Budget Pressure
The SummitPlate Grocery Price Index is built for the question families actually ask: what should we do about dinner this week? The monthly reports translate official BLS and USDA data into practical planning moves — like building one low-lift backup dinner into the rotation before takeout becomes the default. This angle works for personal finance, parenting, and food journalism.
Cite this index
Source-ready citation
Use this citation when referencing the index in articles, newsletters, or resource pages. It follows a standard data-citation format suitable for journalism and blogging.
Suggested attribution copy
These natural-anchor phrases work well for inline attribution in articles. Link them to https://www.summitplate.com/grocery-price-index:
- SummitPlate Family Dinner Cost Index
- SummitPlate Grocery Price Index
- SummitPlate
The anchor text should link to the canonical Family Dinner Cost Index page. Monthly reports, the dupe tracker, and external citations should consolidate source references on the main data asset.
Methodology and data sources
The SummitPlate Family Dinner Cost Index is built for practical dinner planning, not academic inflation modeling. It combines official BLS food-at-home, food-away-from-home, and selected U.S. city average staple price series with USDA ERS food-price context, a planned-home-dinner estimate, and a casual-takeout estimate for a family of four.
The home-dinner and takeout-for-four numbers are SummitPlate planning estimates used to make monthly price signals actionable for weeknight dinner decisions. They are not official BLS series and should not be reported as government data.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI and average retail food price series
Official CPI food-at-home and food-away-from-home indexes plus U.S. city average retail price series for eggs, ground beef, boneless chicken breast, milk, and white bread.
BLS Public Data API
Series used: CUUR0000SAF11, CUUR0000SEFV, APU0000708111, APU0000703112, APU0000FF1101, APU0000709112, APU0000702111.
USDA Economic Research Service Food Price Outlook
Monthly context for grocery and restaurant food price trends and annual food price forecasts.
Downloadable datasets
The full Family Dinner Cost Index dataset is available for download in two open formats. Each file includes month labels, CPI readings, staple prices, and SummitPlate dinner estimates across all available months.
CSV format
Comma-separated values file for spreadsheets, data analysis tools, and programmatic processing.
Download CSVJSON format
Structured JSON with metadata, sources, and the full time series for integration into dashboards and apps.
Download JSONMore SummitPlate resources
Additional pages and tools that may be useful for journalists, bloggers, and resource page editors covering personal finance, food costs, or meal planning.
Family Dinner Cost Index
The full data hub with trend charts, staple prices, and monthly report archive.
Grocery Budget Calculator
Interactive tool for estimating weekly grocery costs based on household size and preferences.
Grocery Savings Calculator
See how ingredient overlap and meal planning can reduce food waste and spending.
Food Waste Quiz
A quick assessment of food waste habits and the cost of unused groceries.
Data Sources
Details on all data sources used across SummitPlate tools and trackers.
Methodology
How SummitPlate calculates estimates and combines official data sources.
Justin Goolsby
The founder and author behind SummitPlate's data tools and meal planning platform.
Have questions about the data?
For press inquiries, methodology questions, or requests for custom data cuts, reach the SummitPlate team through the contact page.