Composition of Fallback Foods

The term fallback foods refer to foods poor in nutritional value compared to preferred foods and ones that become important in the diet when preferred or commonly eaten foods are unavailable. Operationally, however, the term is used more broadly. For example, Hadza foragers take more tubers (USOs) when honey, meat, berries, and baobab are less available, yet tubers are eaten in all seasons constituting a significant portion of total diet. In contrast, core diet components for yellow baboon are defined as anything taken in amounts >1%. The concept should prove useful once a consistent definition is accepted by users.