food swamp
n. An area that has an abundance of fast food restaurants and other low-nutrition food options.
Etymology
Examples
2015
With its plethora of densely packed food stores, Toronto’s Leslieville scored well. Because of its density many parts of Toronto’s downtown did better in the "food swamp" index.
—May Warren, “Are you living in an unhealthy food swamp?,” The Toronto Star, November 10, 2015
2014
Food swamps have been described as areas with a heavy concentration of fast food restaurants and convenience stores offering nutrient poor food.
—Daniel J. Schultz, “Food Swamps, Unhealthy Food Access and Moving Beyond Personal Responsibility,” The Huffington Post, January 22, 2014
2012
A food swamp is an area where there’s an overabundance of high-energy, low nutrient foods (read: fast food) compared to healthy food options.
—Stephanie Ricketts, “Food Deserts, Food Swamps, Food Access: The Primer,” Next Generation Consulting, September 11, 2012
2009 (earliest)
The caloric imbalance that leads to obesity is, of course, an issue about entire diets, not specific foods. But the extensive amount of energy-dense offerings available at these venues may in fact inundate, or swamp out, what relatively few healthy choice foods there are. Thus, we suggest that a more useful metaphor to be used is "food swamps" rather than food deserts.
—Donald Rose, et al., “Deserts in New Orleans?” (PDF), University of Michigan National Poverty Center/USDA Economic Research Service Research, February 01, 2009