Table 1.

Characteristics of participating households and observations of food practices.

Household	Days Observed (n)	Composition: Number of Females (F), Males (M), Children (C)	Variability in Household Size During Data Collection Period *	Approximate Household Weekly Income	Total Household Expenditure on Food and Drinks During Data Collection Period	Hungry Days (n)	Food Storage, Preparation and Cooking Equipment	Observations and Comments
A1	7	10: 5F 2M 3C	Low	$1350	$92.08	2	No fridge; several saucepans	On 5 nights, healthy meat and vegetable meals were reported. F1 described eating well during childhood and had learned to cook from her mother (who had run a community kitchen). Household included long-term visitors (1F and 2C).
A2	8	9: 3F 3M 3C	Medium	$1635	$197.67	2	Fridge (large, working, empty); stove not working; fry pan purchased during study	Very little cooking observed or reported; only 4 main meals (lunch or dinner) reported in 8 days. Up to 15 people in household—some family members sleeping outside in tents. Large vehicle available so much family movement between communities; 4 members were away for 4 days. Household members went hunting one day–no kangaroo, had only honey ants. F1 spent most of an emergency relief fund payment on lollies and cake “because the kids were crying”.
A3	7	4: 2F 2M	Low	$985	$74.71	2	Fridge (recently purchased); stove; fry pan; kettle; toaster; electric sandwich maker. No saucepans or cutlery.	In 7 days, 6 main meals reported, most comprising tinned meat, bread and/or noodles. A visiting daughter, who was learning to cook at trade school, prepared prawns and salad one night. F1 bought a high number of discretionary items, explaining it was to “please” her son with snacks and drinks he likes. F1 is diabetic and reported little food intake e.g., only a mandarin and banana one day. One night another household gave F1 food for dinner.
B1	6	6: 2F 2M 2C	Low	$555	$518.79	2	Hotplates; two small saucepans and a billycan (bought on day 1); bowls and cutlery and stockpot and additional chopping board (also bought during data collection). No fridge; not using kitchen cupboards for storage due to cockroaches.	Household included two couples, one with two children. The couple without children had insecure income and often did not eat with the other family (had at least two hungry days). For the couple with children, meat (fresh or tinned) with damper or bread was the most common meal. Vegetables (particularly pumpkin) reported in several meals (home-made stews). Two-minute noodles common on days when there was less money. Children ate lots of Weet-BixTM. F1 purchased cooking and eating equipment during observation period. I.S. encouraged husband to join in with cooking; he asked for the recipe and reported later that they had repeated the meal.
B2	6	9: 4F 2M 3C	Low	$1780	$262.53	1	Fridge, stove, fry pan, electric flat grill, microwave, wok, deep fryer, sandwich maker	In 6 days observed, six dinner meals reported. Household reported eating a lot of chicken (bought frozen) and damper (one night had chicken with home-fried chips and salad pack), and vegetables on 3 days (included in stews). Children had breakfast and lunch at school, including fruit (bananas and oranges) and Weet-BixTM. F1 reported driving to store 30km away for “cheaper shopping”.
C1	11	10: 3F 4M 3C	High	$2275	$604.71	1	Small fridge in main kitchen; concealed fridge in bedroom; oven and stovetop (working); cooking fire outside; pots	Household included one family of visitors (5A, 2C). Recalled lots of snacks of take-away foods e.g., pies, pizzas; and lots of tinned meat and Weet-BixTM reported. Household was gifted fresh bullock meat (two meals). When matriarch was sick on days 6 and 7 the family food supply was impacted (no food intake reported one day).
C2	8	4: 2F 1M 1C	High	$1460	$252.83	1	Stovetop Fridge broken	One female and one child stayed only two days. Matriarch (grandmother) reported a lot of meat and vegetables/salad and fruit–but that did not accord with shopping dockets, which indicated high purchase of discretionary food and drinks. Matriarch received supported meal (lunch), which was her only meal some days. When asked about other meals she explained there was “no mai [food]; it’s a drought here”.
C3	4	4: 2F 2M	Low	$570	No dockets collected	1	Fry pan, saucepan, toaster, freezer	Household had been using freezer as fridge and not eating food as it had “turned to stone” and was “old food”, not fresh. Household members went hunting; made a meal of maku (witchety grubs) and water.
C4	8	9: 4F 2M 3C	Medium	$1665	$352.22	2	(Not recorded)	Two female household members away much of the period. In 7 days, 4 dinners reported. Day one was hungry day–adults had arngu or nothing; after income received, they bought kangaroo tail and vegetables and family members ate takeaway at shop; the next day–only arngu; two days later when more income was received, they purchased food including vegetables, and reported home-made meals.
C5	8	13: 6F 3M 4C (1 baby)	High	$975	$162.98		Fridge (broken); 2 electric fry pans, 4 saucepans, 2 fry pans, kettle, toaster.	One family (couple and baby) went to Alice Springs (leaving another child); another family (1M, 1F, 3C) moved into the house. Over 8 days, household reported 7 dinners, 4 containing vegetables. No income or food on day 4, but the children ate at school and adults ate at the Arts Centre/office BBQ. Two matriarchs expressed interest in improving diet to lose weight.
C6	8	8: 3F 5M 1C (baby)	High	$1000	$141.08 58% kJ 65% $	1	(Not recorded)	Two family groups–some shared and some independent eating; 2 M visiting; one F away half the observation period. Five dinners reported, some vegetables. Good breakfasts (mostly porridge). One hungry day for most–only bread and biscuits reported.
C7	5	13: 2F 2M 9C	Medium	$2550	$359.64		Fridge; locked cupboard and small fridge in bedroom; kitchen cupboards.	Two matriarchs (sisters), both working in community and bringing in wages. Breakfasts and lunches reported for most days, but not much evidence of dinners. Food stored in bedroom to conceal from children and visitors. F1 (mother of 2 of the children, Aunty of 7) saves her pay from Thursday to do “big shop” on Saturday, and has access to two other family members’ BasicsCards to buy food for children. F2 makes damper every day when present. F2 was away for most of the period; F1 also away a whole day and overnight to buy tires and food in Alice. One family (1F, 1M + 3C)—moved to another household during observation period.
C8	4	4: 2F 2C	Low	$1490	$905.90		(Not recorded)	Purchased large quantities of meat (fresh and tinned). Two dinners of meat and vegetable curry reported. One day F1 spent $495 on shopping, including a whole box of bread; the next day she was upset that all the food purchased had been eaten or taken.
C9	5	6: 2F 1M 3C	Low	$520	$627.31		Fridge and freezer, frying pan, no saucepans, some plates and cutlery	Household members visited the store daily and on most days purchased takeaway meals they consumed there. Dockets show on one day that both women shopped, F1 (paternal grandmother, who had been a HAAC cook) bought fish and vegetables; F2 purchased only take-away food and confectionary. F1 asked for dietary advice as she was diabetic.

* Household variability: High = large degree of change; half of more of the occupants were short-term visitors, or were away for more than a day, during the data collection period; Medium = visits or absence of less than half the usual occupants during the period; Low = no or little variation in household composition during the data collection period.