DeKALB – Kyna Starks expects to take more trips to Save-A-Lot this summer.

The out-of-town grocery store is Starks’ go-to establishment when her budget is tight, and it is going to be tighter if a recent forecast from the U.S. Department of Agriculture holds true.

Food prices are expected to increase 3 percent to 4 percent in 2013 with meats, fresh vegetables and dairy products accounting for the biggest jump in cost. The expected price bump is coming off a year in which meat prices increased as much as 5.5 percent from 2011, while fruit and vegetable prices fell 2 percent.