A staple food is a food that forms the basis of a traditional diet. Staple foods vary from place to place, but are typically inexpensive starchy foods of vegetable origin that are high in food energy and carbohydrate and that can be stored for use throughout the year.

The staple food of a specific cuisine may commonly be served as part of every meal, and its name may be used synonymously with "food" in some contexts, such as the reference to "our daily bread" in The Lord's Prayer, and a common greeting of "Have you eaten rice?" denoting "How are you?" in certain cultures.