Food Policy, Nutrition & Consumer Behavior – Key Vocabulary

A comprehensive set of vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from the lecture on consumer food drivers, federal nutrition policy, the Farm Bill, food access, eating behavior, and related economic and physiological concepts.

Taste

Primary sensory driver of U.S. food choice alongside price, nutrition and convenience.

Price

The monetary cost of food; second most-important consumer driver, weighted highest in low-income groups.

Nutrition (as a consumer driver)

Health value of foods; one of four main factors influencing household food spending.

Convenience

Time- and effort-saving aspect of obtaining, preparing and eating food.

Mandatory (Entitlement) Spending

Federal outlays set by law that must be paid if eligibility criteria are met (e.g., SNAP, Medicare).

Discretionary Spending

Annual federal spending that requires renewal through appropriation bills (e.g., WIC, NSLP).

Subsidy

Government cash payment or tax break designed to keep commodity prices competitive.

Commodity

Raw agricultural product that can be bought or sold on a market (e.g., corn, wheat).

Commodity Foods

USDA-purchased foods distributed to support farm prices and federal nutrition programs.

Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP)

Distributes USDA commodity foods to low-income seniors and pregnant/post-partum women.

Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR)

Provides commodity foods to eligible households living on reservations or in approved areas.

The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP)

Supplies USDA foods to food banks and soup kitchens for low-income households.

Nutrition Services Incentive Program (NSIP)

Offers commodity foods or cash to senior meal programs to enhance nutrition services.

Farm Bill (Agricultural Act)

Comprehensive U.S. legislation renewed about every five years covering agriculture and nutrition policy.

Farm Bill Title 1 – Commodities

Provides price and income supports for non-perishable staple crops and disaster assistance.

Farm Bill Title 2 – Conservation

Supports working-lands conservation practices and land-retirement easements.

Farm Bill Title 3 – Trade

Funds export subsidies and international food aid for U.S. agricultural products.

Farm Bill Title 4 – Nutrition

Authorizes SNAP and other low-income nutrition programs; largest share of Farm Bill outlays.

Farm Bill Title 5 – Credit

Establishes federal farm loan programs and loan guarantees.

Farm Bill Title 6 – Rural Development

Provides grants and loans for rural business, housing and infrastructure.

Farm Bill Title 7 – Research, Extension & Related Matters

Funds agricultural research, education and extension services.

Farm Bill Title 8 – Forestry

Supports forest conservation and management programs.

Farm Bill Title 9 – Energy

Promotes biofuels, on-farm renewable energy and related research.

Farm Bill Title 10 – Horticulture

Supports local food systems, farmers markets and organic agriculture.

Farm Bill Title 11 – Crop Insurance

Subsidizes crop-insurance premiums and governs Risk Management Agency authorities.

Farm Bill Title 12 – Miscellaneous

Covers outreach for beginning/veteran farmers, labor safety and livestock health.

Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

Largest U.S. nutrition assistance program providing monthly benefits to low-income households.

Thrifty Food Plan (TFP)

USDA market basket used to calculate SNAP benefit levels and set poverty thresholds.

Congressional Budget Office (CBO)

Non-partisan agency that scores fiscal impacts of proposed federal legislation.

Agricultural Safety Net

Combination of price-loss coverage, revenue protection, crop insurance and disaster aid for farmers.

International Food Aid

U.S. government purchase and shipment of food abroad for humanitarian relief.

Food Desert

Area with limited access to affordable, nutritious food—often >1 mile from a supermarket in urban zones.

Food Swamp

Area where unhealthy food outlets vastly outnumber healthy options; stronger predictor of obesity than deserts.

Community Food Security

Condition in which all residents obtain culturally acceptable, nutritionally adequate food from local, non-emergency sources.

Social–Ecological Model (SEM)

Framework viewing influences on behavior from individual to policy levels.

Sugar-Sweetened Beverage (SSB) Tax

Excise or sales tax on sugary drinks aimed at reducing consumption and generating revenue.

Philadelphia Soda Tax

2017 levy of 1.5 ¢ per ounce linked to 40 % drop in soda intake and 58 % rise in bottled-water use.

Price Elasticity of Demand

Degree to which quantity demanded responds to price changes; key to SSB tax effectiveness.

Preemption

Higher-level government action that limits or nullifies local policy authority (e.g., CA ban on new local soda taxes).

Grocery Gap

Term describing the unequal geographic distribution of nutritious, affordable food outlets.

Engel’s Law

Economic principle that the share of income spent on food falls as income rises.

Energy Density (Food)

Calories per gram of food; often higher in inexpensive, nutrient-poor items.

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)

Energy expended for basic physiological functions at rest; ~60–75 % of total daily needs.

Thermic Effect of Food

Energy required for digestion, absorption and metabolism—about 5–10 % of energy expenditure.

Hunger

Internal, biologically driven urge to eat due to energy deficit.

Appetite

Learned, external desire to eat triggered by sensory cues and environment.

Satiation

Meal termination point when one feels satisfied during eating.

Satiety

Post-meal fullness that suppresses further intake until the next eating occasion.

Ghrelin

Orexigenic (appetite-stimulating) hormone that rises before meals when the stomach is empty.

Leptin

Tonic anorexigenic hormone released from fat tissue signaling long-term energy stores.

Sensory-Specific Satiety

Decline in pleasure derived from a specific food as it is eaten, promoting dietary variety.

Portion-Size Effect

Tendency to consume more calories when served larger portions.

Healthy Eating Index (HEI)

Tool for measuring adherence to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans on a 0–100 scale.

National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)

Ongoing CDC survey combining dietary recalls with physical exams to monitor U.S. health.

Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs)

IOM nutrient standards including EAR, RDA, AI and UL for healthy populations.

Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA)

USDA-HHS evidence-based recommendations updated every five years for diets of people aged ≥2 years.

Kilocalorie (Calorie)

Energy needed to raise 1 kg of water by 1 °C; unit for food energy.

Energy Density Values

Carbohydrate & protein = 4 kcal/g; fat = 9 kcal/g; alcohol = 7 kcal/g.

Body Mass Index (BMI)

Weight-for-height index (kg/m²); ≥30 classified as obesity for adults.

Food Insecurity

Household-level limited or uncertain access to adequate food.

Very Low Food Security

Most severe USDA category wherein eating patterns are disrupted and intake reduced.

Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM)

Alternative poverty metric that accounts for in-kind benefits and expenses.

Minimum Wage

Legally mandated lowest hourly pay; U.S. federal rate is $7.25 (since 2009).

Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)

Refundable tax credit for low-to-moderate income workers aimed at reducing poverty.

Policy Lifecycle

Sequence: Idea → Bill → Law → Policy → Program → Evaluation.

Veto Override

Congressional action requiring a two-thirds vote in both houses to enact a bill over a presidential veto.

Public Policy (food context)

Government laws, regulations and actions designed to influence food production and consumption.

Ingredient Limit

Regulatory cap or ban on a nutrient or additive (e.g., trans-fat ban).

Nutrition Labeling & Education Act (NLEA)

1990 U.S. law mandating standardized nutrition facts panels on packaged foods.

Hidden Hunger

Micronutrient deficiencies that can occur even when calorie intake is sufficient.

Food Swamp Effect

Correlation between high ratios of unhealthy outlets and increased obesity prevalence (stronger than food desert effect).

Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)

Direct farm-to-consumer subscription model providing regular shares of local produce.

Engle Curve (Food)

Graph showing relationship between income level and food expenditure share.

Commodity Price-Loss Coverage

Program paying farmers when market price falls below a reference rate.

Monetization (Food Aid)

NGO practice of selling donated U.S. food abroad to fund development projects.

Cargo Preference

Requirement that U.S. food aid be shipped on American-flag vessels, increasing cost.

Price per Kilocalorie Metric

Cost analysis method that makes low-energy foods like produce appear expensive relative to high-energy foods.

Food Desert Criteria (Baltimore)

Income ≤195 % FPL, >0.5 mile to supermarket, >40 % households without vehicles, low Healthy Food Availability Index.

Asset Poverty

Condition where a household lacks sufficient assets to cover basic expenses for three months.

Healthy Checkout Ordinance

Policy requiring checkout lanes to stock only nutritious snacks and beverages.

Category Captain

Dominant brand that negotiates favorable shelf space and placement in retail stores.

Paid Placement Scheme

Manufacturer payments for preferential in-store product positioning such as endcaps or checkout racks.