Food Pantry Client and Staff Preferences for Nutritious no Prep Ready-to-eat Meals

NCT ID: NCT05593510

Last Updated: 2025-03-11

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 85 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2023-02-12
• Study Completion Date: 2023-04-26

Brief Summary

The specific aims of this pilot study are: Aim 1) To identify whether no prep ready to eat meals (intervention) or ingredient bundles (control) have higher client acceptability, liking, satisfaction, and perceived diet quality ratings. Aim 2) To identify whether no prep ready to eat meals (intervention) or ingredient bundles (control) have higher feasibility ratings with food pantry staff. Exploratory Aim) To identify whether no prep ready to meals (intervention) or ingredient bundles (control) lead to greater improvements in food security, perceived diet quality, and fruit and vegetable consumption.

Detailed Description

To test the first hypothesis, we will use a randomized repeated measures between-subjects design with half of the participants randomized to receive 14-days of no prep ready-to-eat meals (intervention, n=35) and half of the participants randomized to receive 14-days of ingredient bundles (control, n=35). To test the second hypothesis, we will use a mixed-methods approach with food pantry staff (N=15), including questionnaires with fixed and open-ended items on feasibility and satisfaction of each distribution strategy followed by 30-minute semi-structured 1-1 interviews conducted by UT Southwestern study staff.

Conditions

Diet, Healthy; Food Security

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: FACTORIAL
• Primary Study Purpose: PREVENTION
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

No prep ready-to-eat meals

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

No prep ready-to-eat meals

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Pantry clients will select no prep ready-to-eat meals for up to 14-days' worth of meals for themselves and 2-members of their household using an online food selection platform. The food retailer supplying the meals produces over 70 meals. We have elected to study 14-days of meals to offer clients variety and determine which flavors are most desirable to clients. After ordering, meals will be retrieved from a refrigeration unit, boxed by pantry staff, and brought to the participant to take home. An example dinner is "Teriyaki Chicken with Roasted Potatoes and Broccoli", and an example breakfast is "Omelet with Peppers and Zucchini". Meals can be stored in a refrigerator or freezer and eaten immediately or after reheating depending on the meal and consumer preference.

Ingredient bundles (e.g. meal kits)

Group Type: ACTIVE_COMPARATOR

Ingredient bundles (e.g. meal kits)

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Ingredient bundles will group individual meal ingredients (e.g., chicken, teriyaki, broccoli, potatoes) in a bag or box and pair those healthy food items with a recipe that instructs the client on how to make a healthier meal. Similar to the no prep ready-to-eat meal initiative, clients will select ingredient bundles for themselves and 2-members of their household using the food pantry online food selection platform. The ingredient bundles will closely replicate the no prep ready-to-eat meals.

Pantry Staff Group

They participate in qualitative interviews only. No demographic or other identifiable information from them. They do not receive an intervention. No Intervention Group.

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

No prep ready-to-eat meals

Pantry clients will select no prep ready-to-eat meals for up to 14-days' worth of meals for themselves and 2-members of their household using an online food selection platform. The food retailer supplying the meals produces over 70 meals. We have elected to study 14-days of meals to offer clients variety and determine which flavors are most desirable to clients. After ordering, meals will be retrieved from a refrigeration unit, boxed by pantry staff, and brought to the participant to take home. An example dinner is "Teriyaki Chicken with Roasted Potatoes and Broccoli", and an example breakfast is "Omelet with Peppers and Zucchini". Meals can be stored in a refrigerator or freezer and eaten immediately or after reheating depending on the meal and consumer preference.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Ingredient bundles (e.g. meal kits)

Ingredient bundles will group individual meal ingredients (e.g., chicken, teriyaki, broccoli, potatoes) in a bag or box and pair those healthy food items with a recipe that instructs the client on how to make a healthier meal. Similar to the no prep ready-to-eat meal initiative, clients will select ingredient bundles for themselves and 2-members of their household using the food pantry online food selection platform. The ingredient bundles will closely replicate the no prep ready-to-eat meals.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• 18 years of age or older;
• ability to read, write, and speak English or Spanish;
• ability to provide informed consent;
• current or new pantry user at our community partner;
• willing to participate;
• no dietary restrictions, allergies, or sensitivities that would put the participant at-risk of harm from consuming study foods.

Exclusion Criteria

• Under 18 years of age;
• inability to read, write, and speak English or Spanish;
• unable to provide informed consent;
• not a pantry user at our community partner or uninterested in becoming a pantry user;
• not wanting to participate;
• dietary restrictions, allergies, or sensitivities that would put the participant at-risk of harm from consuming study foods.

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Kelseanna Hollis-Hansen

Assistant Professor

Responsibility Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Locations

Crossroads Community Services

Dallas, Texas, United States

Countries

United States

References

Hollis-Hansen K, Haskins C, Turcios J, Bowen ME, Leonard T, Lee M, Albin J, Wadkins-Chambers B, Thompson C, Hall T, Pruitt SL. A pilot randomized controlled trial comparing nutritious meal kits and no-prep meals to improve food security and diet quality among food pantry clients. BMC Public Health. 2023 Dec 1;23(1):2389. doi: 10.1186/s12889-023-17355-3.

Reference Type: RESULT

PMID: 38041070 (View on PubMed)

Hollis-Hansen K, Haskins C, Turcios J, Bowen ME, Leonard T, Lee M, Albin J, Chambers BW, Thompson C, Hall T, Pruitt SL. A pilot randomized controlled trial comparing nutritious meal kits and no-prep meals to improve food security and diet quality among food pantry clients. Res Sq [Preprint]. 2023 Oct 6:rs.3.rs-3029813. doi: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3029813/v1.

Reference Type: DERIVED

PMID: 37886450 (View on PubMed)

Provided Documents

Document Type: Study Protocol and Statistical Analysis Plan

View Document

Document Type: Informed Consent Form

View Document

Other Identifiers

STU-2022-0809

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id