As food costs grew by over 10 percent in 2022, many Americans are saying prices are a big reason they’re unable to eat healthily.

According to a survey released Wednesday by the Cleveland Clinic, 46% of those asked say food prices are the biggest barrier to healthy eating. Ranking as the No. 2 reason, 23% said they don’t have the time to cook healthy meals. One in five respondents say they don’t know how to cook healthy meals.

“A heart-healthy diet is the cornerstone of how we lower the risk of cardiovascular disease,” said Dr. Leslie Cho, a cardiologist for Cleveland Clinic. “It’s really sad that in our economic times people feel that eating heart healthy is more expensive.”

Although the cost of fruits and vegetables jumped in 2022, so did pretty much all other types of food. Cakes and cookies increased 17.1% in 2022, while sweets rose about 12 percent. Fresh fruits and vegetables went up 6.4%, according to the government's consumer price index.

Experts say including fresh fruits and vegetables in a diet does not have to be expensive.

“As long as we eat the rainbow of colors in your fruits and vegetables, that’s good for you and your cardiovascular health,” Cho said.

The survey also found that 71% of those polled believe moderate exercise has a great impact on weight than diet. Research shows that exercise and eating a healthy diet are both important factors in health.

“The best exercise that’s been proven over and over again to make people live longer is walking. Walking really is an important part of our health, not just our cardiovascular health but our mental health too,” she said.

Michelle Obama announced Wednesday that she has co-founded a new company to make and sell healthier food and drinks for kids, products that she says will be less detrimental to their long-term health because of their lower sugar and higher nutrient content.

In the video player above: Want your kids to eat veggies? Parents can set an example by eating them, too, study finds

The former first lady's work with PLEZi Nutrition is an extension of her efforts to improve child nutrition when she was in the White House.

"I've learned that on this issue, if you want to change the game, you can't just work from the outside," she said during a keynote address in New York at a conference on the future sponsored by The Wall Street Journal. "You've got to get inside. You've got to find ways to change the food and beverage industry itself."

"So today, I'm proud to announce the national launch of a company designed not just to provide better products, but to jumpstart what I hope will be a race to the top that will transform the entire food industry," she said.

Mrs. Obama said she is a co-founder and strategic partner of PLEZi Nutrition. She will work behind the scenes on its educational and philanthropic efforts, according to aides, who stressed that she will not be a spokesperson or public face of the company. It was unclear whether she put any money down to help launch PLEZi Nutrition or whether she will draw a salary.

Mary Altaffer

As first lady, Mrs. Obama sought through a White House initiative called "Let's Move" to improve the health of U.S. children by encouraging them to engage in physical activity and eat healthier food. She worked to improve federal nutrition standards for school lunches and extracted commitments from food companies and restaurant chains to cut calories, salt, sugar and trans fats in their meals.

But she said Wednesday that kids still are not getting the recommended levels of nutrients and are eating and drinking too much added sugar, an average of 53 pounds per year. Sugary drinks are youngsters' main source of added sugar, she said, adding that nearly two-thirds of them have such a drink every day.

Video below: Parents say kids are making better food choices

PLEZi Nutrition, based in the District of Columbia, is a public benefit corporation, meaning that the for-profit company was created specifically for the public's benefit and will balance its profit needs with its mission to help improve child nutrition.

Mrs. Obama also announced that the company is donating $1 million to an initiative by FoodCorps, a nonprofit organization that is working to help all 50 million students in the U.S. receive education about nutrition and free school meals by 2030. PLEZi Nutrition will also contribute 10 percent of its profits to the broader movement to improve child nutrition.