food secure

adjective

also food-secure ˈfüd-si-ˈkyu̇r 

: able to consistently access or afford adequate food

A food-secure household is not simply fed—it is free from the fear of hunger and not forced into unthinkable options (heat or eat) or short-sighted decisions (cheap, quick calories versus more nourishing choices).

—Jim Hanna

food security noun

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines "food security" as access at all times by all people within a household to enough food for an active, healthy life. "Food insecurity," on the other hand, occurs when a household's consistent access to adequate food is limited by a lack of money and other resources at times during the year.

—Elyse Miller

Examples of food secure in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Its lid-locking function keeps food secure while cooking or transporting, preventing spills and splatters. —Maggie Horton, People.com, 5 Oct. 2024

Tips include keeping food secure and inaccessible to bears, keeping all doors and windows of buildings properly shut, moving and hiking in groups and keeping pets on a leash at all times. —Saman Shafiq, USA TODAY, 28 May 2024

Additionally, almost all freezers will come with either a child lock or some type of locking mechanism to keep food secure. —Nor'adila Hepburn, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 June 2024

And preliminary data from a trial in New York City found that families who received home deliveries of fresh produce were more food secure and less stressed overall compared to families who didn’t. —Aria Bendix, NBC News, 21 Mar. 2024

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa told the summit his country was food secure, but thanked his Russian counterpart nonetheless. —Alexander Smith, NBC News, 27 July 2023

According to Feeding America’s Map the Meal Gap data, Milwaukee families as a whole needed nearly $60 million to purchase enough food to become food secure. —Talis Shelbourne, Journal Sentinel, 7 Oct. 2022

These students are more likely to have lower GPAs, lower attendance and completion rates, and are more likely to report indicators of stress and depression than their food secure counterparts. —Alexa Gagosz, BostonGlobe.com, 31 Aug. 2022

Protecting and building habitats for pollinators keeps crop production in balance and food secure. —Clarisa Diaz, Quartz, 9 June 2022

Word History

First Known Use

1982, in the meaning defined above