Free meal kits may ease stress for struggling rural families
NCT ID NCT06869993
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This pilot study tested whether providing free meal kits and a cooking app to 40 low-income families in rural Maine could improve food security, diet quality, and mental health. Caregivers and their children (ages 6-12) received weekly meal kits for 30 days and completed surveys before and after. The study aimed to see if the program was acceptable and feasible, and whether it reduced stress and family conflict.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- meal kit plus mobile culinary medicine education
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could point toward a simple, scalable way to reduce food insecurity and improve family well-being in rural areas.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small pilot study with only 40 families, no control group, and no long-term follow-up, so results may not apply broadly or show lasting effects.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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MaineHealth
Portland, Maine, 04102, United States
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