The UnProcessed Pantry Project (UP3): A Community-Based Intervention Aimed to Reduce Ultra-Processed Food Intake Among Food Pantry Clients

Top Things to Know

Providing education and ongoing support for healthy eating can lead to better dietary choices and sustained improvements.

Offering healthier food options in food boxes directly impacts participants’ health metrics, such as BMI, total cholesterol, and waist circumference.

This study is important to the HCXF initiative because it demonstrating that food pantries can be effective access points for nutrition interventions, which supports the integration of FIM principles into existing food support systems.

Summary of Conclusion/Findings

The UnProcessed Pantry Project (UP3) aimed to reduce ultra-processed food intake among food pantry clients through nutrition education, food boxes, and social support over 16 weeks. The study found significant improvements in dietary quality, BMI, total cholesterol, and waist circumference among participants. This suggests that the emergency food system can effectively improve dietary quality and reduce chronic disease risk among food-insecure populations.