Food insecurity affects 11.1% of households in the United States, leaving many families susceptible to poor diet quality (Coleman-Jensen et al., 2021). Food insecurity, as defined by the U. S. Department of Agriculture, can range from a decrease in the quality, variety, or desirability of the diet to disrupted eating patterns and reduced food…

Fathers of preschoolers (N 47) responded to six open-ended questions regarding snacks via Qualtrics to understand how fathers perceive snacks. Most fathers were White (85%), well educated (72% had bachelor's degree or higher), and married (98%). Content analysis was applied to survey responses, and themes were identified. Three overarching themes…

Bridges and Fowler (2022) collected survey data regarding grocery shopping attitudes and behaviors prior to the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and followed up by collecting similar data during the pandemic. This allowed for comparisons of grocery shopping habits before and during COVID-19; in addition, survey respondents were asked how they…

Family and consumer sciences (FCS) professionals support individuals in making good decisions about their well-being in order to achieve an optimal quality of life (AAFCS, n.d.). The Body of Knowledge (BoK) includes individual well-being as one of its core concepts and wellness as a cross-cutting theme (McGregor, 2022; Nickols et al., 2009).…

Family and consumer sciences (FCS) professionals in home economics and allied fields have a long history of fostering increased knowledge and skills related to food; in recent decades, interest in providing food education has grown among practitioners in many other fields and contexts. Along with this expansion of providers and opportunities for…

Books communicate information to children about social norms, including those associated with eating and foods. This, combined with concern about high rates of child obesity, was the impetus for this study. Information is presented on the food messages in a sample of contemporary popular books written for young children. Highly sweetened products…

Food literacy (FL) has become a key concept for many family and consumer sciences/home economics (FCS/HE) professionals, especially those with specializations in dietetics and nutrition, food studies, and education. References to food literacy have grown exponentially since its first mention in the 1990s (Begley & Vidgen, 2016) and are used…

We live in the most complex food environment in human history. Our global food system, which rose over the course of the 20th and early 21st centuries, has had an enormous impact on what and how we eat. This arrangement, currently dominated by a small number of "agri-food" companies, has produced an abundance of inexpensive, readily…

The roots of modern hospitality teachings are evident in the beginnings of family and consumer sciences (FCS). Land-grant universities of the Midwest (such as Iowa State University and Kansas State University) did not simply teach cooking and sewing, but they also taught "budgeting, table service ... and the production and marketing of…

Household food waste (HFW) presents a global sustainability challenge, significantly impacting the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Particularly, HFW hampers the progress of SDG 2 (zero hunger) and SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production). With an estimated global annual food waste of 931 million tons, consumers are…

Food preparation literacy is defined as an individual's ability to plan, manage, and prepare tasty foods with limited directions (Vidgen & Gallegos, 2014). Food preparation practices are complex and demanding but they play a crucial role in health outcomes. Low food preparation literacy may contribute to less healthy food consumption,…

Food insecurity is a rising concern in many parts of the world. In the United States, certain populations are more vulnerable than others. One such group is college students. A 2020 report suggests roughly 39% of the 330,000 students surveyed from different colleges and universities experienced food insecurity in the last 30 days (Baker-Smith et…

The purpose of this experiment was to determine the effects of the meaningful addition of vegetables, using cauliflower and zucchini, to a pizza crust on the likeability of taste, texture, appearance, and overall preference of the pizza. The likeability testing revealed that the cauliflower variation produced an unacceptable product in texture,…

The COVID-19 pandemic has influenced many aspects of life and wellbeing. Eating behaviors and food habits among college students--many leaving campus and returning home mid-semester--were of particular interest for this qualitative study. Reflections from 33 students across 3 courses were analyzed using content analysis. Five major themes emerged…

COVID-19 ignited a revolution in retail. Family and consumer sciences (FCS) professionals, including students of retail and consumer sciences, can be the change agents that create the post-pandemic retail future. Massive disruptions to traditional retail practices for both consumers and retailers will result in changed retail environments as the…