At its most basic level, food is the source of nutrition to meet daily requirements but is now taking on an ever-greater role in the quest for health optimization. The latter focus is a luxury that is primarily the purview of an affluent society and has little relevance in many areas where mere survival is the driving force. From the basic-nutrition perspective, there is a clear dichotomy in demonstrated need between different regions and socioeconomic groups, the starkest being addressing injudicious consumption in the developed world and under-nourishment in less developed countries (LDCs). Both extremes suffer from forms of malnourishment, one through inadequate supply, the other through inappropriate choices.