natural food

noun

: food that has undergone minimal processing and contains no preservatives or artificial additives

Examples of natural food in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Whole Foods Market This grocery store chain specializes in organic and natural foods, and offers the ninth cheapest shop for weekly essentials at $73.98. Tiffani Jackson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 7 Mar. 2024 Wildlife advocates also worry about the welfare of the bears who will never return to their natural food source after feasting on human food for so long. The Aspen Times, The Denver Post, 16 Feb. 2024 Mushrooms are also one of the few natural food sources of vitamin D, and contain beta-glucan, a type of soluble fiber that aids in the reduction of blood cholesterol levels. Daphne Ewing-Chow, Forbes, 14 Feb. 2024 Test Kitchen Tip Check the baking aisle or natural food/gluten-free section of a large grocery store for almond flour ($9, Target). Katlyn Moncada, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 Feb. 2024 Sugars are present in many natural foods, from bananas to beets. Marta Zaraska, Scientific American, 11 Sep. 2023 Contrary to popular belief, an urban fox’s diet is made up of more than 50% natural food, such as earthworms, wild birds, seeds and fruits. Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023 High in carotenoids such as lutein, petals are also used to create natural food colorings with a warm golden yellow color that is used for all sorts of foods, beverages, and animal feeds. Derek Carwood, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Oct. 2023 Around this time, mussels also faced other environmental pressures from increasing water pollution and the introduction of invasive Asiatic clams, which present competition for natural food sources. The Indianapolis Star, 5 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'natural food.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1917, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of natural food was in 1917

Dictionary Entries Near natural food

Cite this Entry

“Natural food.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/natural%20food. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

natural food

noun
: food that has been processed as little as possible and contains no added artificial substances to keep it fresh or give it flavor

Medical Definition

natural food

noun
: food that has undergone minimal processing and contains no preservatives or artificial additives

More from Merriam-Webster on natural food

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