What term describes the situation where a household or individual lacks access to healthy food due to low financial income?

The term that accurately describes the situation where a household or individual lacks access to healthy food due to low financial income is food insecurity. Food insecurity refers to the economic and social condition where individuals or families are unable to consistently access enough nutritious food necessary for an active and healthy life. This encompasses both the limited availability of food and the financial inability to acquire it, making it specifically related to income status.

Food poverty, while it may seem similar, is more often used to focus on the inability to afford sufficient food, rather than the broader concept of food access and availability tied to economic conditions.

Food shortage refers to a temporary situation where there is not enough food supply to meet demand in a geographical area, which can be due to various factors like natural disasters or disruptions in production and distribution.

Food scarcity is a broader term that implies a lack of sufficient food overall in a region or country and is not confined to individual financial circumstances.

Therefore, food insecurity encompasses the critical elements of limited access to healthy food driven by low income, making it the most accurate choice in this context.