The term health food is generally used to describe foods that are considered to be beneficial to health, beyond a normal healthy diet required for human nutrition. However, the term is not precisely defined by national regulatory agencies such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
“Health food” is sometimes used as an umbrella term encompassing natural foods, organic foods, whole foods, and sometimes nutritional supplements. Such products are sold in health food stores or in the health/organic sections of supermarkets. “Health food” may also refer to functional food: foods for which a specific claim of health benefits is made, such as that consumption of the food may prevent disease. Additionally, “health food” is sometimes used in contrast with “junk food”, which may be high in calories but has little other nutritional value.