202 Improving the Nutritional Impact of Food Pantry Programs: Client Recipe Preferences and Kitchen Equipment Accessibility

Abstract

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Despite food pantries’ efforts to improve nutritional quality and encourage healthy cooking, limited evidence exists regarding pantry shoppers’ culinary preferences and kitchen equipment access. This project utilized pantry food demonstrations and samples to collect recipe and kitchen tool feedback. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: For 4 months, a Culinary Medicine team delivered food demonstrations at Crossroads Community Services food market in Dallas, Texas, which serves primarily Hispanic and Black residents. Each demo provided a food sample, corresponding printed recipe in English or Spanish, and a survey. Part 1 of the survey measured shoppers’ hedonic liking of the sampled food and their likelihood of recreating it. Part 2 used the same scale for non-sampled recipes adapted from Health meets Food Community Culinary Medicine programming. Averages of appeal and likelihood to cook between sampled and unsampled groups were compared with a student’s T test. Part 3 contained a visual graphic of 24 kitchen appliances, and shoppers circled each item they owned. Investigators collected surveys from 207 shoppers across 12 demos. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Preliminary analyses showed a positive response to the food demonstrations with a mean rating on a 5-point Likert scale of 4.58 for recipe appeal and 4.46 for likelihood of cooking the recipe at home. The Health meets Food recipes not demonstrated were also positively reviewed (4.40 for appeal and 4.32 for likelihood to cook). There was a statistically significant difference in appeal between sampled and non-sampled recipes (p = 0.03) while no significant difference was found for likelihood to cook (p = 0.08). On average, clients owned 75% of kitchen appliances with most clients owning a sauté pan (94%) but few having access to a food processor (27%). DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: An effective nutrition program for food pantry clients must be accessible, culturally relevant, nourishing, and enjoyable. Providing samples alongside recipes may increase appeal and engagement. Consideration of kitchen equipment access is essential to promote recipe recreation at home.