“Meal Kits” and Recipe Tastings Increase Selection of Healthy Foods Among Food Pantry Clients

Nearly 40 million Americans face hunger, and many rely on the food banking system to supplement the groceries needed to feed themselves and their families. Consequently, it is essential to maximize the nutritional quality of food available through food pantries. At the same time, it is also important to encourage food pantry clients to select these healthier options. 

This study, published in Public Health Nutrition, introduced meal kits in food pantries to see whether this encouraged selections of nutrient dense foods, and it found that cllients were three times as likely to take kale and whole grains when meal kits were offered.