Enjoying Affordable and Tasty Food Together

Launched by UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS, LOWELL · Jun 16, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is testing a new program that combines meal kits with nutrition education to help adults aged 40 and older who have lower incomes. The study aims to see if this program can reduce food insecurity (not having enough healthy food), improve diet quality, boost confidence in cooking, and positively affect mental health, quality of life, and heart health measures like blood pressure and blood sugar. The researchers want to find out how well people like the meal kits and education, how often they take part, and whether this approach works better than just giving general nutrition information.

To join, participants need to be at least 40 years old, have a body weight classified as obese (a BMI over 30), and have some signs of high blood pressure or blood sugar problems like prediabetes or diabetes. They must live in the Greater Lowell area, have a household income below a certain level, and have a working refrigerator to store the meal kits. People with serious medical conditions, certain food allergies, or who are already taking specific medications or involved in similar studies won’t be eligible. If accepted, participants will receive meal kits and nutrition education and will attend study visits and complete surveys to help researchers understand the program’s effects on their health and well-being.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Adults aged 40 years and older.
• • Household income at or less than the 200% the federal poverty level (household size 1: $30,120, household size 2: $40,880, household size 3: $51,640, household size 4: $62,400, and household size 5: $73,160)
• • Willing to provide informed consent and complete the study requirements, including attending study visits and completing questionnaires.
• • Access to a refrigerator or other means to safely store perishable food, as the meal kits require refrigeration.
• • BMI \> 30 kg/m2 and self-report having at least one of the following: elevated blood pressure or hypertension, elevated glucose, prediabetes or diabetes.
• • Reside in the Greater Lowell area or surrounding regions to ensure feasibility of meal kit delivery and data collection.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Less than 40 years old
• • Does not have BMI \>30 kg/m2, elevated blood pressure or hypertension, or elevated glucose, prediabetes or diabetes
• • Not able to provide consent (adults lacking capacity)
• • Follow a medically restricted diet or have allergies to wheat, soy, or dairy
• • Plans to move from the Greater Lowell area within the next 12 months
• • Live outside the Greater Lowell area because this will impact meal kit delivery
• • Individuals without a working refrigerator in your household
• • Have a serious medical condition requiring a doctor's care including cancer, chronic kidney disease and/or celiac disease
• • Currently part of a study on diabetes, cardiovascular disease, nutrition or weight-loss
• • Currently taking any weight loss medication like Ozempic, or medication for diabetes, dyslipidemia or hypertension
• • Currently using a continuous glucose monitor