A basket of healthy food costs more than double that of less healthy options, according to new analysis.
The Food Foundation found that 1,000 calories of healthy food such as fruit and veg costs £8.80, compared to £4.30 for the equivalent amount of less healthy food, such as ready meals and processed meats.
The charity is warning that low-income families are being priced out of being able to afford to eat healthily.
The government has said it is committed to introducing an 'ambitious' food strategy that will tackle unhealthy diets.
The analysis carried out for the Food Foundation looked at the average price of 450 items that the Office for National Statistics uses to calculate monthly inflation. It graded foods based on their nutritional value, according to guidance from the Food Standards Agency.
The analysis suggests the gap has widened in the last two years, with the price of healthy foods rising by 21%, while unhealthy options increased by 11%.
The charity warns that 60% of an estimated eight million households dealing with food insecurity in 2024 have reduced how much fruit they buy, while 44% have cut down on vegetables.
Its research found that the poorest families would need to spend 45% of their disposable income on food to be able to afford to eat the government recommended healthy diet, rising to 70% for those with children.
Julcine has two-year-old twins and says she is determined to feed them healthy food, even if it costs more.
"For your children you have to buy the expensive thing, you have no choice. If the supermarkets could bring the prices down it would make a huge difference."
Anna Taylor, the executive director of the Food Foundation, said parents were being "set up to fail".
"Trying to feed children well, particularly on low incomes, is like a high-wire act."
The Food Foundation is calling on the government to incentivise businesses to make healthy food more affordable.
"This is a moment in time, the government could really learn from the mistakes of the past and create incentives to produce nutritious food at affordable prices," Ms Taylor told the BBC.
Minister for Food Security and Rural Affairs Daniel Zeichner said the report highlighted issues that would be addressed in the government's proposed food strategy.
"We cannot do this alone, which is why we are working with those across the food sector, utilising their expertise, to transform the industry for good," he said.
Source: BBC News
