Where's the beef? If you're shopping for it at the grocery store, you might get stung by the price hike felt year over year. The price of ground beef has increased 6.9 percent from June 2011 to June 2012, according to the CPI.
However, by knowing what's more expensive, you can fight food inflation by substituting for those products until prices fall.
For example, shoppers can purchase chicken, fish or pork instead of beef and turkey. Pork prices dropped nearly 1 percent from June 2011 to June 2012. Fish prices were just 1.6 percent higher in June this year versus 12 months ago.
Chicken prices are just up 4.2 percent in the same time frame. Other poultry, including turkey, saw a price hike of 8.3 percent, but this meat is generally less expensive than beef by the pound.
To compensate for food inflation, Volpe suggests trading high-priced, fresh meats and fish for frozen, processed or canned varieties. Or try visiting stores that give discounts on buying in bulk or on certain cuts of meat. Even so, you'll have to figure out what works best for you nutritionally, he says.