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.

Study Overview

• Status: Not yet recruiting
• Conditions: Dietary Quality

Detailed Description

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.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Estimated): 30

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Andres V Ardisson Korat, ScD; Phone Number: 617-556-3386; Email: andres.ardisson_korat@tufts.edu
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Meghan Hendricksen, Ph.D; Phone Number: 617-556-3384; Email: meghan.hendricksen@tufts.edu

Study Locations

• United States
  • Connecticut
    • Glastonbury, Connecticut, United States, 06033
      • Glastonbury Senior Center
      • Contact: Ronda Guberman, Senior Center Supervisor; Phone Number: 860-652-7646; Email: ronda.guberman@glastonbury-ct.gov

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

The participants for this study are senior center members either of the current lunch program or other programming events at "The Senior Center" in Glastonbury, Connecticut.

Description

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.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

1

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Senior Center Meal Recipients; Adults aged 50+ who regularly attend The Senior Center in Glastonbury, CT and participate in the 6-month culinary nutrition intervention, including redesigned lunch meals, nutrition education sessions, focus groups, and dietary/health assessments.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Mean change from baseline to 6 months in dietary quality among meal recipients	The mean change from baseline to 6 months in dietary quality among meal recipients will be measured using the healthy eating index (HEI) and individual components of the HEI.	Baseline to 6 months

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Satisfaction in meal program from baseline to 6 months	The satisfaction in meal program will be measured using the meal program satisfaction questionnaire from baseline to 6 months.	Baseline to 6 months
Mean meal consumption scores from baseline to 6 months	The mean meal consumption scores will be measured through visual assessment of food discarded during weeks 3 and 7 using the official plate waste analysis guide.	Weeks 3 and 7 of meal implementation
Mean change in nutrition literacy from baseline to 6 months	The mean change in nutrition literacy will be assessed using a nutritional literacy survey for older adults from baseline to 6 months.	Baseline to 6 months
Mean change in blood pressure from baseline to 6 months	The mean change in blood pressure (systolic/diastolic) will be assessed using an automated sphygmomanometer.	Baseline to 6 months
Mean change in body weight from baseline to 6 months	The mean change in body weight will be assessed using a digital scale from baseline to 6 months.	baseline to 6 months
Mean change in waist circumference from baseline to 6 months	The mean change in waist circumference using a tape measure will be assessed from baseline to 6 months.	Baseline to 6 months
Mean change in hip circumference from baseline to 6 months	The mean change in hip circumference using a tape measure will be assessed from baseline to 6 months.	Baseline to 6 months
Mean change in waist-to-hip circumference ratio from baseline to 6 months	The mean change in waist-to-hip circumference ratio will be mathematically calculated from the hip and waist measurements.	Baseline to 6 months
Mean change in height from baseline to 6 months	The mean change in height will be assessed using a stadiometer from baseline to 6 months.	Baseline to 6 months
Mean change in body mass index (BMI) from baseline to 6 months	The mean change in body mass index will be mathematically calculated from the body weight and height measurements from baseline to 6 months.	Baseline to 6 months
Mean change in Food and Nutrition Insecurity from baseline to 6 months	The mean change in food and nutrition insecurity will be measured through validated questionnaires (e.g., US Household Food Security Survey Module) from baseline to 6 months.	Baseline to 6 months
Mean Change in Loneliness and Socialization Measures from baseline to 6 months	The mean change in loneliness and socialization measures using validated questionnaires (e.g., Socialization questionnaire) from baseline to 6 months.	Baseline to 6 months
Mean change in frequency of meal participation and participation in other activities at the Senior Center from baseline to 6 months	The mean change in frequency of meal participation and participation in other activities at the Senior Center will be assessed using the current Senior Center's attendance log.	Baseline to 6 months

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Tufts University
• Collaborators: USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Andres V Ardisson Korat, ScD, Tuft's University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Estimated): July 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): March 1, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): June 1, 2027

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 19, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 19, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): May 27, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 27, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 19, 2026
• Last Verified: May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Older Adults; Healthy Eating Index; Nutrition Literacy; Social Engagement; Teaching Kitchen; Congregate Meal Programs
• Other Study ID Numbers: STUDY00007007; 58-8050-3-003 (Other Grant/Funding Number: USDA Cooperative Agreement); PT0445 (Other Grant/Funding Number: Danone Institute of North America)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: Participant privacy given the small sample size (n=30)

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No