While some Canadians are able to style their consumption to reflect restraint and simplicity — such as neatly labelled jars in an ordered pantry — others are struggling with deepening food insecurity, writes Leisha Toory. Photo by Heather McKean /UnsplashArticle contentAs a political communicator and feminist advocate, I have become increasingly attuned to how everyday choices, particularly around food, reflect deeper structures of class, power and identity. One of the clearest indicators of this phenomenon today is the way food is positioned as a symbol of status in a time of economic decline.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentIn periods of economic uncertainty, consumption patterns do not disappear. Instead, they transform. The so-called “lipstick index,” originally coined to describe increased cosmetic purchases during economic downturns, illustrates this dynamic. Rather than abandoning consumerism, individuals pivot to “modest luxuries.” Today, the currency of comfort is often found in food.Article contentArticle contentArticle contentArticle contentArticle contentThe popularity of rustic sourdough, small-batch oat milk and premium grocery-store pastries are not simply trends. They are coded acts of cultural performance. As inflation and precarious employment reshape middle-class life in Canada, these foods serve both as coping mechanisms and as means of asserting taste, discernment and control.Article contentDrawing on Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of cultural capital, it becomes evident that food is a medium through which people express class identity and claim symbolic power. In “Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste,” Bourdieu argues that taste is never merely an individual preference. It is a structured expression of social positioning. Today’s Canadian consumer landscape echoes this precisely. It is not just what one eats, but how one eats, how a croissant is plated, how a matcha is photographed, and where groceries are sourced. These choices broadcast economic resilience and esthetic control in an unstable world.Article contentArticle contentArticle contentCurated domesticityArticle contentArticle contentArticle contentWhat I have observed in digital spaces, particularly Instagram, TikTok and niche lifestyle forums, is a growing esthetic of stability. Users do not flaunt extravagance. Instead, they curate domestic calm: neatly labelled pantry items, handmade bread, balanced lunches in bamboo containers. This is what I refer to as the trend of “middle-class normalities.” It reveals a collective aspiration for control and calm through familiarity, order and predictability. In effect, this esthetic becomes a buffer against the psychological and material chaos of capitalism in crisis.Article contentHowever, this return to minimalism and comfort is not as inclusive as it appears. While some Canadians are able to style their consumption to reflect restraint and simplicity, others are struggling with deepening food insecurity. In 2023, Food Banks Canada reported that nearly 2 million people visited food banks in March alone, representing a 32 per cent increase over the previous year. These figures expose the disparity between food as a lifestyle performance and food as a basic necessity. The Instagrammable pantry and the emergency food hamper occupy the same policy universe but rarely the same cultural one.
COMMENTARY: Food, status and the recessionary esthetic
