Claire is a working single mother of two young kids. During the day, she works as a nursing assistant at a doctor’s office, and in the evening, she sometimes picks up extra shifts at a local hospital. Claire has a strict grocery budget, and to make ends meet, she usually avoids buying fresh fruits or meat. She also regularly shops at a discount grocer that carries food that is past its “best-by” date. In times when she has not been able to get extra shifts, Claire has relied on her local food bank to make sure that she and her family always have food to eat. How would you describe Claire’s level of food security?

• A. Food secure.
• B. Marginal food security.
• C. Low food security.
• D. Very low food security.

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the concept of food security, which refers to having reliable access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life.
2. Step 2: Review the different levels of food security: Food secure (no problems accessing food), Marginal food security (some anxiety about food sufficiency but no substantial reduction in food intake), Low food security (reduced quality, variety, or desirability of diet but little or no indication of reduced food intake), and Very low food security (multiple indications of disrupted eating patterns and reduced food intake).
3. Step 3: Analyze Claire's situation: She avoids fresh fruits and meat due to budget constraints, shops at discount grocers with food past 'best-by' dates, and relies on a food bank when extra income is unavailable. These behaviors indicate compromises in food quality and variety.
4. Step 4: Determine that Claire's experience aligns with 'Low food security' because she is reducing diet quality and variety but there is no explicit mention of reduced food intake or hunger.
5. Step 5: Conclude that Claire's level of food security is best described as 'Low food security' based on the evidence of compromised diet quality without clear evidence of reduced food intake.