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Food Forward’s Fresh Approach: Can Meal Boxes Improve Food Security for Low-Income Communities Living in Healthy Food Priority Areas?

Author

Listed:
  • Aparna Katre

    (College of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Minnesota Duluth, Duluth, MN 55812, USA)

  • Brianna Raddatz

    (College of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Minnesota Duluth, Duluth, MN 55812, USA)

  • Britta Swanson

    (College of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Minnesota Duluth, Duluth, MN 55812, USA)

  • Taylor Turgeon

    (College of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Minnesota Duluth, Duluth, MN 55812, USA)

  • Alison Dugan

    (College of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Minnesota Duluth, Duluth, MN 55812, USA)

Abstract

Food security continues to be an issue in the United States, especially in urban healthy food priority areas. Most interventions prioritize physical and economic access, just one of the four pillars of food security. We present the beginnings of a framework to help qualitatively assess an intervention’s contributions to various dimensions and sub-dimensions of food security and summarize the contributions of dominant interventions observed in the literature. We have followed Food Forward, a meal box social enterprise, since its conception in 2021. As a case study, we apply the framework and find that meal boxes have the potential to comprehensively address all dimensions of food security at the household level. Community involvement in strategic planning and operations can improve food utilization, and a financially sustainable social enterprise model can facilitate access, availability, and utilization stability. Future research is needed to develop the framework further by adding indicators to assess individual and collective contributions of community-based interventions to household food security. Longitudinal studies for innovative social business models for meal boxes are necessary to assess their contribution to the stability dimension of household food security.

Suggested Citation

  • Aparna Katre & Brianna Raddatz & Britta Swanson & Taylor Turgeon & Alison Dugan, 2025. "Food Forward’s Fresh Approach: Can Meal Boxes Improve Food Security for Low-Income Communities Living in Healthy Food Priority Areas?," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(5), pages 1-24, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:5:p:2088-:d:1602101
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Lauren H. Sweeney & Kaley Carman & Elder G. Varela & Lisa A. House & Karla P. Shelnutt, 2021. "Cooking, Shopping, and Eating Behaviors of African American and Hispanic Families: Implications for a Culturally Appropriate Meal Kit Intervention," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(18), pages 1-10, September.
    2. Sebastian Prost, 2019. "Food Democracy for All? Developing a Food Hub in the Context of Socio-Economic Deprivation," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 7(4), pages 142-153.
    3. Kelly J. Hodgins & Evan D. G. Fraser, 2018. ""We are a business, not a social service agency." Barriers to widening access for low-income shoppers in alternative food market spaces," Agriculture and Human Values, Springer;The Agriculture, Food, & Human Values Society (AFHVS), vol. 35(1), pages 149-162, March.
    4. Mwehe Mathenge & Ben G. J. S. Sonneveld & Jacqueline E. W. Broerse, 2023. "Mapping the spatial dimension of food insecurity using GIS-based indicators: A case of Western Kenya," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 15(1), pages 243-260, February.
    5. Sebastian Prost, 2019. "Food Democracy for All? Developing a Food Hub in the Context of Socio-Economic Deprivation," Politics and Governance, Cogitatio Press, vol. 7(4), pages 142-153.
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