Super Bowl food favorites cost more to prepare this year

Calling an audible is part of any football game — fans planning on making Super Bowl food favorites may need to make game-day decisions, thanks to inflation and food supply shortages.

Bottom line: You’ll likely pay more this year to prepare your family-famous Championship Chili or Mean Green Guacamole — and the beer to wash it down.



There’s plenty of blame to go around. Inflation is at a 40-year high and demand is high.

With more coronavirus-vaccinated people willing to congregate, the National Retail Federation projects more than 90 million people are planning to throw or attend a Super Bowl party, up from 62.8 million last year.

Prices for meat are high. The USDA says the cost of chicken is up — including for wings. Same for the ground beef used for chili.

Avocados for guacamole are more expensive than in years past. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s retail report says the Hass avocado that cost 78 cents last year now costs $1.24.

And, prices will be slightly higher for beer. The Beer Institute — a national trade for the U.S. beer industry — said despite an aluminum shortage, and supply-chain challenges, the price of beer is only up 1.8% over last year.

The cost of potato chips seems steady. Wells Fargo crunched the numbers, and said chips are only 1% more expensive this year than last.

And, keeping an eye out for bargains will likely yield a sale on hot dogs.

Neal Augenstein

Neal Augenstein has been a general assignment reporter with WTOP since 1997. He says he looks forward to coming to work every day, even though that means waking up at 3:30 a.m.

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