Teaching Kitchens Intervention for Older Adults in a Senior Center in New England

A Pilot Teaching Kitchens Intervention Protocol to Improve the Dietary Quality of Congregate Meals for Older Adults

This study will evaluate a culinary nutrition intervention designed to improve the quality of meals served to older adults participating in a senior center. Many meals currently provided in these settings do not meet recommended dietary guidelines, which negatively impact health outcomes among older adults. In this pilot study, participants will receive improved lunch meals that are designed to be more nutritious, culturally appropriate, and acceptable, along with nutrition education sessions over a 6-month period. This intervention will also include training for food service staff to support implementation of the improved meals. The study will assess changes in dietary quality, physical health measures, and social and behavioral outcomes among participants at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months. Findings from this study will help determine the feasibility and effectiveness of this approach and inform future efforts to improve nutrition and health outcomes in Congregate Meal Program for older adults.

Congregate meal programs within senior centers serve a large population of older adults in the United States, yet many meals provided in these settings do not meet recommended dietary guidelines particularly for whole grains, micronutrients, sodium, and saturated fat. Poor dietary quality in this population may contribute to increased risk of chronic diseases, reduced physical function, and lower overall well-being. This study is a Phase III pilot feasibility study designed to evaluate a culinary nutrition intervention implemented in a senior meal center serving older adults. The intervention is based on a Teaching Kitchens model and includes three core components: (1) development and implementation of a nutritionally improved lunch menu, (2) training of food service staff to prepare healthier and culturally appropriate meals, and (3) delivery of nutrition education sessions to meal recipients. The intervention will be conducted over a 6-month period. Participants will receive reformulated lunch meals designed to improve dietary quality, alongside structured nutrition education sessions aimed at increasing nutritional literacy, supporting healthy food choices, and promoting engagement in the meal program. The effectiveness of the intervention will be evaluated by measuring changes in dietary quality, physical health indicators, and psychosocial outcomes at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months. Outcomes will include dietary intake, anthropometric measures (e.g., body weight, hip-to-waist circumference, height), blood pressure, food security, and measures of social engagement and well-being. This study aims to assess the feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of a scalable culinary nutrition intervention tailored to older adults in Congregate meal settings. Findings from this pilot study will inform the development of larger-scale interventions and may contribute to improving nutrition and health outcomes for older adults in similar programs.

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Age 50 years or older
2. Regularly visits the Senior Center either for lunch meals or other center-based programming
3. Willing and able to participate in a 6-month intervention, which includes consistent involvement in the lunch program
4. Willing and able to participate in multiple focus group discussions centered around meal preferences, health perceptions, and dietary habits (full study participation is 7 months)
5. Capable of providing informed consent and completing an eligibility screening

Exclusion Criteria:

1. History of moderate to severe neurological condition(s) that may impact cognitive ability (e.g., dementia, major stroke)
2. Known severe food allergies that may interfere with participation. (with study MD approval, participants with mild allergies or intolerances may be included and notified not to consume any known allergens)
3. Recent changes in health status that affect the ability to assess foods (e.g., altered appetite, smell, vision, hearing, and/or taste)
4. Any disorder, unwillingness, or inability, not covered by any of the other exclusion criteria, which, in either the investigator's or study MD's opinion, might jeopardize the subject's compliance with the protocol. This includes impaired vision requiring assistance or aid from another person, impaired smell, or impaired taste perception. Given the number of written surveys and visual support materials, the study would place a large burden on participation for individuals with visual impairment requiring assistance.
5. Individuals who have a cognitive, sensory, or physical impairment that prevents them from understanding the consent information or completing the required consent documentation will be excluded from participation.