Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
dictionary
thesaurus
view recents

whole food

noun
Save Word

Definition of whole food

: a natural food and especially an unprocessed one (such as a vegetable or fruit)

Examples of whole food in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Food apartheid looks at the whole food system & takes into account income, race & geo. — Andrew Mark Miller, Washington Examiner, "Pressley: Black community more vulnerable to coronavirus due to 'comorbidities of structural racism'," 12 Dec. 2020 Read the label: The first ingredient should be a real, whole food— not sugar by a different alias, or sugar itself. — Good Housekeeping, "Is Sugar Bad for You? Here's What You Need to Know," 26 Oct. 2020 The DGAs, on the other hand, recommend getting it from whole food sources like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes, which each provide several important nutrients. — Christine Byrne, Health.com, "What Is the F-Factor Diet, and Is it Safe? Here's What Nutritionists Say," 21 Sep. 2020 Parents interested in caring for their child's gut microbiota for weight management or overall health can look to whole food sources. — Kristen Rogers, CNN, "Probiotics may help manage childhood obesity, study finds," 7 Sep. 2020 Donning an American flag bandanna, Ellie's tail wags happily during her whole food retrieval assignment at The Chick. — Perri Ormont Blumberg, Southern Living, "Watch Ellie the Dog Pick Up Her Owner's Curbside Delivery at a Chick-fil-A in Chapel Hill," 25 Aug. 2020 Despite common themes from book to book, his latest feels fresh, focusing on whole foods while avoiding sounding didactic. — Janelle Bitker, SFChronicle.com, "Oakland chef Bryant Terry brings international flair to vegan recipes," 5 May 2020 This red pepper hummus is made with whole foods, and steamed chickpeas and roasted red pepper are the first two ingredients. — Amy Gorin, NBC News, "18 plant-based foods nutritionists buy at ALDI," 18 Mar. 2020 Making healthy dietary choices across the board will benefit your sleep (Photo: Getty Images / Olesia Shadrina) Try to reach for whole foods and complex sugars all day, not just before bed. — Lindsey Vickers, USA TODAY, "Food to avoid for better sleep during stressful times—and what to eat instead," 29 Apr. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'whole food.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

See More

First Known Use of whole food

1880, in the meaning defined above

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about whole food

Time Traveler for whole food

Time Traveler

The first known use of whole food was in 1880

See more words from the same year

Statistics for whole food

Last Updated

22 Dec 2020

Cite this Entry

“Whole food.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/whole%20food. Accessed 15 Jan. 2021.

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for whole food

whole food

noun

English Language Learners Definition of whole food

: a food that is considered healthy because it is grown naturally, has not been processed, and contains no artificial ingredients

See the full definition for whole food in the English Language Learners Dictionary

whole food

noun

Medical Definition of whole food

: a natural food and especially an unprocessed one (as a vegetable or fruit)

Comments on whole food

What made you want to look up whole food? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

Show Comments  Hide Comments 

WORD OF THE DAY

vulcanize

Listen to the pronunciation of vulcanize

See Definitions and Examples »

Test Your Vocabulary

Words of Snow and Ice Quiz

  • image1037863653
  • Which of the following refers to thin, bending ice, or to the act of running over such ice?
True or False

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Typeshift

Anagram puzzles meet word search.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games