Meal Kit Research Articles

Cooking, Shopping, and Eating Behaviors of African American and Hispanic Families: Implications for a Culturally Appropriate Meal Kit Intervention

Families with low incomes face barriers to preparing healthy meals, including decreased food access and limited time, and may turn to fast, low-quality, and inexpensive foods. Affordable and accessible meal kits may reduce these barriers. The objective of this study was to explore the cooking, eating, and shopping behaviors of African American (AA) and Hispanic participants living in the United States with low incomes and determine the knowledge of and preferences for a culturally appropriate meal kit intervention. Trained researchers conducted focus groups using a semi-structured questionnaire with AA and Hispanic food preparers with low incomes. Participant cooking, eating, and shopping behaviors and knowledge of and preferences for a culturally appropriate meal kit intervention were evaluated using thematic analysis. AA participants (n = 16) reported cooking on average 2 to 3 days per week and more often on weekends. Hispanic participants (n = 15) reported cooking 5 days per week and more often during the week. Both groups identified cost as the number one consideration when shopping. Most were unfamiliar with meal kits but indicated they would try an affordable meal kit. AA and Hispanic participants differed in their cooking, eating, and shopping behaviors but were equally interested in trying meal kits if affordable and culturally appropriate.

The relationship between meal kit selection attributes, perceived values, and behavioral intentions - For consumers over 40 -

본 연구는 밀키트 선택속성이 지각된 가치, 행동의도 간의 관계를 규명하고자 하였다. 연구 대상은 밀키트 상품 이용 경험이 있는 40대 이상을 조사하였다. 조사 기간은 2021년 3월 29일부터 2021년 4월 6일까지 실시하였고, 설문 조사는 구글 온라인 설문지 220명의 자료 중 40대 110명, 50대 이상 110명의 설문지가 실증분석 자료로 활용되었다. 연구결과는 다음과 같다. 첫째, 밀키트 선택속성의 하위요인 편의성, 맛, 건강성 중 지각된 가치에 편의성과 건강성이 정(+)의 영향을 미쳤다. 둘째, 밀키트 선택속성의 편의성만 행동의도에 정(+)의 영향을 미쳤다. 셋째, 지각된 가치와 행동의도는 단일요인으로 구성하였으며, 지각된 가치가 행동의도에 정(+)의 영향을 미쳤다. 이 연구의 결과는 외식기업의 마케팅 전략에 시사점을 제시한다.

The Effect of Selection Attributes of Meal Kit on Brand Attitude and Repurchase Intention

본 연구는 밀키트를 이용한 소비자의 선택속성(다양성, 편리성, 포장, 건강성)이 브랜드 태도와 재구매의도에 미치는 영향을 알아보았다. 온라인 또는 오프라인 경로를 통해 2021년 5월 1일부터 5월 15일 사이에 밀키트를 구매하여 이용한 경험이 있는 전국의 성인남녀를 대상으로 연령비율을 조정하여 시행하였다. 온라인 리서치 업체를 이용하여 총 330부의 설문지를 회수하였으며, 310부의 응답 설문지를 최종 분석에 활용하였다. 통계 패키지 프로그램 SPSS과 AMOS를 통해 인구통계분석, 빈도분석, 기술 통계분석, 신뢰도분석, 탐색적 요인분석, 확인적 요인분석, 구조방정식 모형분석, 교차분석을 이용하였다. 연구결과는 다음과 같다. 첫째, 다양성은 브랜드 태도에 유의한 정(+)의 영향관계를 나타냈다. 둘째, 편리성은 브랜드 태도에 유의한 정(+)의 영향관계를 나타냈다. 셋째, 포장은 브랜드 태도에 유의한 정(+)의 영향관계를 나타냈다. 넷째, 건강성은 브랜드 태도에 유의한 정(+)의 영향관계를 나타냈다. 다섯째, 브랜드 태도는 재구매의도에 유의한 정(+)의 영향관계를 나타냈다. 여섯째, 구매 장소와 목적을 통한 분석에서 대형마트에서 구매를 통한 저녁식사를 위한 비율이 가장 높았다. 본 연구의 결론을 통해 학문적, 실무적 시사점을 도출하고 한계점을 제시하였다.

Acceptability and Willingness to Pay for a Meal Kit Program for African American Families with Low Income: A Pilot Study.

Food insecurity is a persistent issue among individuals with low income and is associated with various nutrition- and health-related consequences. Creative approaches to increasing food access should be investigated as possible solutions. Meal kits, which are boxes or bags of fresh and shelf-stable ingredients for one or more meals, along with a step-by-step recipe showing how to cook each meal at home, may serve as a creative solution. Meal kits have historically been marketed to higher-income demographics. The purpose of this pilot study was to investigate the utilization, acceptability, and willingness to pay for a healthy meal kit program among African American main food preparers with children and low income (n = 36). Participants received a healthy meal kit with three recipes and ingredients, a cooking incentive, and a nutrition handout weekly for six weeks. Data were collected on participants’ use, acceptability, and willingness to pay for the meal kits and analyzed using descriptive statistics. The intervention was highly utilized, and participants reported high acceptability ratings for most recipes. After the intervention, participants were willing to pay $88.61 ± 47.47 for a meal kit with three meals, each with four portions, which was higher than indicated at baseline and similar to the cost to produce the kits. Meal kits may offer a creative solution to improving food access if affordable for families with low income.

Chartwells K12 Meal Kit Home Delivery Program Provides Meals for New Orleans Students Learning Virtually During Emergency School Closures

Chartwells K12 Meal Kit Home Delivery Program Provides Meals for New Orleans Students Learning Virtually During Emergency School Closures

P86 Impact of Healthy Meal Kits on the Home Food Environment of African Americans with Low Income

<h3>Background</h3> The Home Food Environment (HFE) consists of the home's physical and the sociocultural environments and plays a key role in the healthfulness of one's diet. No known studies have evaluated the impact of healthy meal kits on the HFE of African American (AA) adults with low income. <h3>Objective</h3> To determine the impact of a 6-week healthy meal kit intervention on the HFE of AA adults with low income and with children. <h3>Study Design, Setting, Participants</h3> Participants were recruited for a 6-week healthy meal kit study. Participants received 1 meal kit each week with 3 meals, which included recipe cards, necessary ingredients, a nutrition handout, and a cooking tool. At baseline, all participants completed a demographic survey and the USDA 18-item Food Security Module. Participants also completed the HFE tool at baseline and post, assessing foods available in the home; food preparation tools; grocery shopping practices and frequencies; non-home food sources; eating and screen viewing; cooking self-efficacy, attitudes, and behaviors; and social supports. <h3>Measurable Outcome/Analysis</h3> Descriptive statistics were used to describe participant demographic and food security information. Linear Mixed-Model analysis with an unstructured covariance was used to analyze significant changes in the HFE survey from baseline to post. <h3>Results</h3> Participants (n = 36) were on average 43 years old, female (89%), had some college (47%), and had 2 children living in the home. Low or very low food security was reported by 68% of participants, and 48% of participants had an annual household income of less than $25,000. Eating and screen viewing significantly decreased from baseline to post (<i>P</i> = 0.04). No significant changes were found in any other HFE items. <h3>Conclusion</h3> Meal kits may promote a healthy HFE, but additional efforts are needed to improve the overall HFE. Future meal kit studies should should incorporate more education on improving the HFE to see more of an impact.

P47 Healthy Meal Kit Program Improved Long-term Food Security Status for African American Families with Low Income

<h3>Background</h3> Food insecurity is a serious issue in the US, with 10.5% of households experiencing food insecurity in 2019. Food insecurity rates are higher among households with children and those with low income as well as among racial/ethnic minorities. Creative approaches to improving food security status (FSS) are needed. Meal kits have become a popular service for households with higher income and may help improve food access and FSS for households with low income if they are affordable. <h3>Objective</h3> To assess the impact of a healthy meal kit program on long-term FSS of African American families with low income. <h3>Study Design, Setting, Participants</h3> A 6-week pilot study was conducted with African American participants with low income (n = 36). Participants were given meal kits, recipe cards, cooking tools, and nutrition handouts. Data were collected at baseline and at long term follow up 6 months post-intervention (LTFU). <h3>Measurable Outcome/Analysis</h3> Sociodemographic characteristics were collected with a demographic survey and computed using descriptive statistics. FSS was characterized with the U.S. Household Food Security Survey Module, and a paired-samples <i>t</i> test was used to determine whether there was a difference between FSS at baseline and LTFU. <h3>Results</h3> Participants were on average 44.1 ± 13.6 years of age, had a household size of 4.2 ± 2.0, were primarily female (90.0%), had an annual household income <$35,000 (75.9%), completed ≤ some college (76.7%), and had food insecurity (70.0%). Food security raw score decreased significantly from baseline to LTFU (6.1 ± 4.8 vs 2.6 ± 3.9, respectively; <i>P</i> = 0.001), indicating an improvement in FSS. <h3>Conclusion</h3> Findings suggest the meal kit program helped improve FSS over the long-term, but results should be interpreted with caution due to the lack of a control group. Participants may have learned food resource management strategies to make better use of food dollars. Future interventions should explore the mechanism behind this improvement.

Simple Suppers – Gone Online (SS-Go): Feasibility of a Family Meals Program Transitioned From In-Person to Online in the COVID-19 Pandemic

ObjectivesAdapt and pilot Simple Suppers (SS)—a site-based 8-week family meals program for Head Start (HS) families offered in fall, winter, and spring—to an online platform using a community-based participatory approach, in response to COVID-19.MethodsResearchers collaborated with community partners and HS families to adapt the core components (caregiver education; child education; family meal) of SS to an online format. Feasibility outcomes (demand: response rate, attendance, retention; acceptability: satisfaction; implementation: fidelity, cost; limited effectiveness: diet, weight status) were measured: pre, post, or throughout programming via count, survey, focus group, or direct measure. Baseline demographic data were also collected.ResultsThe research-community team came to consensus on: a) utilizing e-methods families were accustomed to in local HS programs and elementary schools (Google Classroom; Zoom; YouTubevideos) for the educational components; b) enhancing the educational components with a supplemental program-specific weekly magazine (“SS Digest”); c) creating a weekly meal kit delivery for the family meal component (“SS Chef's Crate”); and d) adding an additional week to programming (8 to 9) to orient families to the new online format. 13 of 40 families enrolled in HS participated in the fall session of SS-GO programming (32.5% response rate) and mean (SD) weekly attendance was 4.0 (0.86). 11 of the 13 families engaged in the research, and 10 of 11 completed pre- and post-test data collection (91% retention). Survey and focus group data revealed high levels of satisfaction for SS-GO. Weekly lessons were delivered as intended 92.8% of the time, and Chef's Crates were received by families 100% of the time. Mean (SD) food cost of programming was $212.33 (66.06) or $16.33 per family. Limited effectiveness data are forthcoming. Baseline mean (SD) caregiver age was 32.5 (9.32) years (n = 11), 100% (n = 11) female, 72.7% (n = 11) Black, mean (SD) BMI 36.3 (9.31), 36.4% (n = 4) low income, and 36.4% (n = 11) had low or very low food insecurity. Mean (SD) child age was 3.45 (0.69) (n = 11), 45.5% (n = 5) were female, and had a mean (SD) BMI z-score 0.63 (0.76) (n = 11).ConclusionsSS-GO demonstrates feasibility utilizing a community-based participatory approach. Data will guide future iterations of the program—in COVID-19 and after.Funding SourcesUSDA NIFA CYFAR

Changes in Dietary Intake After an 8-week Meal-Kit Delivery Program in Adults With an Overweight Condition or Obesity

ObjectivesThis study aimed to explore changes in dietary intake and body composition in adults living with an overweight condition and obesity who participated in an 8-week meal kit delivery program that included tutorials on nutrition and eating behaviours. MethodsThirty-four healthy adults (aged 18--65 y) classified as either overweight or obese (25 < body mass index [BMI] <40 kg/m2) were randomly (1:1:1) divided into three groups: Control, Nutrition, and Behaviour. At baseline and at 10-weeks, anthropometrics were measured and body composition was analyzed using dual energy x-ray absorptiometry. Participants recorded their food intake for three non-consecutive days at both time points, which was then analyzed for macronutrients, water consumption and fruit and vegetable intakes. Over the 8-weeks, meal-kits were delivered to all participants. Each week, the control (n = 11) received weekly handout of healthy eating and nutrition education, Nutrition (n = 11) had access to online tutorials about healthy eating and nutrition education and the Behaviour group had access to online eating behaviour tutorials. Repeated-measures, mixed model ANOVA were used to compare changes in outcome measures. ResultsThirty-four participants completed the food diaries and body composition analysis (mean age 30.8 ± 11.2 y and mean BMI 30.7 ± 3.9 kg/m2). Significant differences were seen in water intake between Nutrition (791.2 ± 273.0 g) and Behaviour (1112.5 ± 197.6 g) (P = 0.03). Body composition and macronutrient intakes did not significantly differ among groups and/or over time. However, total intake of fruits and vegetables after the intervention was significantly different between Behaviour (5.85 ± 2.8 serving) and Nutrition (3.4 ± 1.4 serving) (P = 0.01). ConclusionsMeal-kit delivery with the added nutrition education and eating behaviours resulted in positive changes in food intake in adults living with an overweight condition and obesity. Future work should consider longer-term follow-up with larger sample sizes to confirm these findings. Funding SourcesR. Howard Webster Foundation

Beyond Ramen: Investigating Methods to Improve Food Agency among College Students.

Many college students struggle to cook frequently, which has implications for their diet quality and health. Students’ ability to plan, procure, and prepare food (food agency) may be an important target for shifting the college student diet away from instant and inexpensive staples like packaged ramen. The randomized intervention study included two sequential cooking interventions: (1) six weeks of cooking classes based in food agency pedagogy held once per week, and (2) six weekly home delivered meal kits (3 meals per kit) to improve food agency, diet quality, and at home cooking frequency of college students. Based on availability and subsequent randomization, participants were assigned to one of four conditions that included active cooking classes, meal kit provision, or no intervention. Participants who took part in the cooking intervention had significant improvement in food agency immediately following the intervention period. Participants who did not participate in cooking classes and only received meal kits experienced significant, though less pronounced, improvement in food agency scores following the meal kit provision. Neither intervention improved diet quality or routinely improved cooking frequency. Active cooking classes may improve food agency of college students, though further research is needed to determine how this may translate into improved diet quality and increased cooking frequency.

The Structural Relationship of the Selective Attributes of Meal Kit product, Consumption Value, and Repurchase Intention : Focused on the Ready to Prepare Type Meal Kit

The Structural Relationship of the Selective Attributes of Meal Kit product, Consumption Value, and Repurchase Intention : Focused on the Ready to Prepare Type Meal Kit

Effect of HMR Meal Kit Product Selection Attributes on Consumers Satisfaction and Other Recommendation Intention

Effect of HMR Meal Kit Product Selection Attributes on Consumers Satisfaction and Other Recommendation Intention

Meal kit purchasing behavior and relationship with the nutrition quotient of young adults in Chungnam

Meal kit purchasing behavior and relationship with the nutrition quotient of young adults in Chungnam

The East Side Table Make-at-Home Meal-Kit Program is feasible and acceptable: A pilot study

Drawing from marketing literature, shopper solutions and food bundles (that group items to be used together) can promote purchase intention, efficacy, and related outcomes. Similarly, meal kits boxes (food bundles with step-by-step instructions to prepare home-cooked meals) have potential to be an accessible intervention to facilitate healthy, at-home food preparation and intake. This manuscript describes the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary outcomes of a community-designed and -led program promoting healthy food skills, accessibility, and intake through meal kits. This pilot study was designed using community-based participatory research principles and 60 participants enrolled in the study. Participating families received a free meal kit weekly during the 10-week program. Meal-kit boxes also included language-appropriate recipe cards, step-by-step instructions, and supplemental educational material including links to videos with related food preparation tips and fact sheets about the meal. Data were collected at baseline, post-program, and follow-up (3 months post-program). Specifically, validated measures were used to assess food insecurity, food availability, cooking preparation techniques, self-efficacy, and fruit/vegetable intake. Process data were also collected. Descriptive statistics, paired t-tests, and Wilcoxon sign-ranked tests were used to describe data and evaluate outcomes. Content analysis was used to code open-ended survey responses into categories. Study findings indicated retention rates were high (≥90%); 83% made eight or more meal kits. At post-program, significant increases were observed in cooking/meal preparation self-efficacy, cooking techniques, and healthy food availability. At follow-up, only healthy food availability remained significantly higher. Findings suggest that meal-kit programs are feasible and acceptable, and there is a potential for these programs to influence factors important to increasing healthy home-cooked meals and dietary intake. Future research should use more rigorous designs and explore meal-kit dosage.

Abstract 14055: Impact of a Boxed Meal Facilitated Plant-based Diet on Cardiometabolic Endpoints: A Clinical Trial

Background: Plant-based diets (PBD) are increasingly recommended to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Boxed meal-delivery services are a growing market facilitating consumer convenience; however, their effects on health require further study. We compared cardiometabolic changes between a boxed meal facilitated PBD (f-PBD) and Standard Omnivorous Diet (f-SOD). Methods: A prospective, controlled, parallel-designed trial assessing the impact of a f-PBD (n=16) to a f-SOD (n=16) on cardiometabolic endpoints was conducted in military beneficiaries. Participants with a BMI &gt;25 kg/m 2 consuming a standard omnivorous diet volunteered to adopt a f-PBD or f-SOD for a 4-week period. Participants had the option to consume breakfast and lunch according to their adopted diet at the military dining facility. Dinner was facilitated by shipping a commercially available plant-based or standard omnivorous boxed meal kit to participants as appropriate. Lipid parameters were monitored at baseline and at 4 weeks. Weight, blood pressure (BP) and other clinical endpoints were assessed weekly. The primary endpoints were change from baseline at 4 weeks in calculated low-density lipoproteins (LDL-c) and weight. A student’s t-test was performed to assess differences between groups using the intention-to-treat methodology. Results: A total of 32 participants were enrolled in the f-PBD and f-SOD groups. Average age of participants was 33.3±7.8 years, BMI was 29.6±3.5 kg/m 2 and 50% were male. Change in LDL-c from baseline in the f-PBD and f-SOD groups were -9.41±21.7 mg/dl and +5.63±15.9 mg/dl, respectively (p=0.033). The change in weight from baseline in the f-PBD and f-SOD groups were -3.82±4.4 pounds and +0.87±2.7 pounds, respectively (p=0.001). Systolic BP decreased non-significantly in the f-PBD group (-4.88±5.4 mmHg vs -0.38±9.2 mmHg for f-PBD and f-SOD, respectively, p=0.103). Conclusion: Incorporating a meal-delivery f-PBD significantly reduced LDL-c and weight over a 4-week period. Plant-based meal kits could serve as a novel dietary intervention in the optimization of cardiovascular disease burden.

Are meal kits health promoting? Nutritional analysis of meals from an Australian meal kit service.

Meal kits are popular for consumers seeking greater convenience in preparing meals at home. The market share for meal kit subscription services (MKSSs) is growing in developed nations including Australia, however, literature about their health promoting qualities, e.g. nutritional composition, is scarce. This study aimed to assess the characteristics and nutritional composition of meals offered from an MKSS over 12 months. Nutritional data were extracted from recipes available to order from HelloFresh in Australia from 1 July 2017 to 30 June 2018. In total, 346 (251 unique) recipes were retrieved. Per serve (median size 580 g), meals contained a median of 2840 kJ (678 kcal) of energy, 58 g carbohydrate (14 g sugar), 44 g protein, 28 g total fat (8 g saturated fat) and 839 mg sodium. Median energy from macronutrients was total fat (38%), carbohydrates (34%), protein (25%) and saturated fat (11%). This paper is the first to describe characteristics of recipes available from an MKSS over a 12-month period of time. With their growing popularity, meal kit delivery services have the capacity to influence consumer food behaviours, diets and subsequently population health. MKSSs may function to promote health though education, training, and enabling home cooking behaviours, and may be a powerful commitment device for home cooking behaviour change. However, it is important for health professionals, including dietitians and nutritionists, to understand the nutritional risks, benefits and suitability of this contemporary mealtime option before recommending them to clients and members of the public as part of health promotion. Meal kit delivery services are growing in popularity in developed countries, complementing busy lifestyles with pre-measured ingredients and recipe instructions delivered to the home. These meal kits have the ability to influence consumer diets and population health, and may support health promoting diet behaviours, e.g. eating vegetables, and enable home cooking. In this study, we reviewed a years' worth of recipes from a popular meal kit service. We report that a typical recipe contained approximately nine different ingredients, comprising three vegetables and required three ingredients from the home pantry. Meals took ∼35 min to prepare and were found to be relatively high in energy from fat and protein, and relatively low in energy from carbohydrates. The level of sodium varied widely and some meals exceeded the Australian Suggested Dietary Target for sodium (<2000mg). Meal kit recipes were found to have health promoting qualities, frequently including vegetable ingredients, however, improvements to recipes would make these meal kits more health promoting. Current diet intakes and the nutritional composition of meal kits recipes should be reviewed before being recommended by health professionals.

Home chef meal kits: Product attributes, perceived value and repurchasing intentions the moderating effects of household configuration

Considering the growing popularity meal kits are undergoing in today's grocery sales market, and also with respect to barriers presented for restaurant dining due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it is essential to obtain more knowledge surrounding those product and service attributes pertaining to consumers and meal kits. Thus, this study was designed to investigate meal kits' essential attributes representing food quality, menu variety, health-oriented, convenience and price in association with their effects upon users' perceived value, and intention to continuously use. Two attributes representing high quality food dishes and menu variety were found to be the most important meal kit attributes because they both strongly improved hedonic and functional value for consumers. Results identified meal kit food quality as having more positive effects upon perceived value for the multi-person household segment when compared with the single-person household group. Comparatively, the effects of menu variety upon perceived value were more positive in the single-person household group than in the multi-person household group. Based on our findings, theoretical, managerial implications, limitations and recommendations for future research are provided.

Microbial Contamination Levels in the Raw Materials of Home Meal Replacement Shabu-Shabu Meal Kit Distributed in Markets

Microbial Contamination Levels in the Raw Materials of Home Meal Replacement Shabu-Shabu Meal Kit Distributed in Markets

Subjectivity Type Analysis Study of Single-person Households on Meal Kit Products of Food Service Industry

Subjectivity Type Analysis Study of Single-person Households on Meal Kit Products of Food Service Industry

A Study on the Meal Kit Product Selection Attributes on Purchasing Behavior and Satisfaction

A Study on the Meal Kit Product Selection Attributes on Purchasing Behavior and Satisfaction