Optimizing Online Purchasing of Fruits, Vegetables, and Legumes for Low-Income Families

Launched by NEW YORK UNIVERSITY · Jul 8, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying ways to help low-income families buy more fruits, vegetables, and legumes (beans and similar foods) online. These healthy foods can lower the risk of heart disease, which is more common in Black and Hispanic communities partly because of challenges like limited access to good food. The study will test different ideas to make online grocery shopping easier and more trustworthy, such as sending helpful text messages, offering small financial rewards for buying healthy foods, and providing easy-to-use shopping lists with meal ideas that fit cultural preferences. The goal is to find the best mix of these supports to help families eat healthier while using their government food assistance benefits online.

Adults who are the main grocery shoppers in households with young children (between ages 2 and 10), who have used food assistance programs or meet income guidelines, and who have access to a smartphone or computer to shop online may be eligible to join. Participants will be asked to shop for groceries online for 12 weeks, share their grocery receipts, and receive some combination of the supports mentioned above. The study will also provide free delivery and a video to help with online shopping. Pregnant caregivers are not eligible because diet changes during pregnancy. This research aims to find affordable and easy ways to improve healthy food access and reduce food insecurity in families facing social and economic challenges.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Adult (\> 21 years old)
• • Live in a household with a young child(ren) under the age of 10 years and above age 2.
• • Primary shopper for the household
• • Have access to a smartphone or computer to place online orders
• • Participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in the past year or income eligible (annual household income \< 130% of the federal poverty line)
• • Agree to share itemized grocery receipts during the study (12 months)
• • Willing to order groceries online
• • Informed consent
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Adult caregiver is pregnant (reason: changes in diet and body composition during this life stage)