Ready-to-eat meals.

Abstract

As my parents have reached their 80s, they eat more meals prepared by others. Ready-to-eat foods became more appealing to them, as they do to many elders, as buying and preparing food became more difficult or less desirable. Home-delivered meals, part of the Elderly Nutrition Program (ENP) Under the Older Americans Act, reach almost a million older adults with about 114 million meals a year. A single ENP meal provides 40% to 50% of an elder's daily nutrients. Starting this month, some participants will also be getting breakfast. Meals On The Morning Meals On Wheels collaboration between the U.S. Administration on Aging (AoA) and General Mills is providing breakfast to at-risk elders for 6 months. After an evaluation looks at the number of meals served, the factors important for success of a breakfast program, and whether the client's nutrition risk is reduced, General Mills will consider expanding the program nationwide. If they do so, ENP sites can expect a Meals on manual and technical assistance from General Mills, as well as credits, discounts, and allowances on purchases of General Mills products such as yogurt, cereal, and baking mixes. Project staff may even end up pictured on a Wheaties box! Breakfast is an easy meal to add to the ENP projects, because most breakfast foods are served cold and will not spoil, even if kept for several days. Breakfast foods are also relatively inexpensive.