noun
humble fare; simple meal
Archaic term for a plain, unpretentious meal, often with a nuance of poverty or asceticism. Not used in modern everyday speech.
昔の隠者は疎食を常とした。
Hermits of old made humble fare their daily sustenance.
Modern term for a simple or plain diet, often used in health contexts. 疎食 is its archaic equivalent, now rarely encountered.
Composed of 疎/疏 (coarse, sparse) and 食 (meal, food). The exact historical derivation is uncertain; the spelling is conventionally associated with the meaning of a humble or simple meal.