The average price of ground beef rose 7.4%, and strawberries climbed 10.4% between September 2025 and September 2026, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics average price data. A pound of ground beef averaged about $6.79 in September, up from about $6.32 a year earlier.
Those are some of the foods federal officials are urging Americans to eat more of. The 2025 to 2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, released in January, call for protein at every meal and vegetables throughout the day, while sharply cutting refined carbohydrates.