The Difference Between Food Insecurity and Food Poverty

More Than Empty Cupboards – Understanding Food Insecurity vs.

Food Poverty.

When we talk about people struggling to access nutritious food, two terms often arise: food insecurity and food poverty. While they’re closely related, they are not the same—and at Auntie’s Cookery Academy, we believe it's crucial to understand the distinction so we can respond appropriately.

Food poverty refers primarily to the economic inability to afford sufficient, nutritious food. It’s a financial issue rooted in low income, inflation, the cost-of-living crisis, or a lack of access to affordable groceries. People experiencing food poverty often rely on food banks or skip meals to make ends meet (Big Issue, 2023).

Food insecurity, by contrast, goes beyond finances. It includes a lack of knowledge, skills, time, or access to facilities needed to prepare and enjoy nutritious meals—even if food is available. A person may have food in the house but lack the confidence, education, or equipment to turn ingredients into a balanced meal (UK Food Standards Agency, 2023).

As outlined in Dale (2025), food education has a unique and powerful role in addressing food insecurity. Teaching people how to plan meals, budget, cook from scratch, and read food labels builds long-term resilience. For example, in her study at the YMCA in Northampton, Dale found that structured cooking programmes led to marked improvements in food literacy and independence among young people in supported housing.

The Evaluation Tool for Food Literacy Programmes (Begley et al., 2018) supports this approach by measuring skill development across planning, selection, and preparation—exactly the areas where food-insecure individuals often struggle.

At Auntie’s Cookery Academy, we don’t just teach people what to eat—we show them how to build a healthier, more independent life, even on a tight budget.