Utilization of a Hospital-Based Food Pantry and Associated Nutrition Education and Cooking Program for Patients with Celiac Disease

ABSTRACT

Objective: Food insecurity impacts 1 out of 6 patients with celiac disease (CD) in the United States, and rates have increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is particularly concerning for vulnerable populations who require specialized medical diets. State and federal resource programs do not account for the increased cost of gluten-free (GF) foods, and food pantries do not address overall health issues that often come with food insecurity. Our project aimed to provide GF food to food insecure families through a hospital-based food pantry and offer dietitian-led cooking classes to improve dietary quality and nutrition knowledge. Method(s) To address barriers to food access, Boston Children's Hospital (BCH) opened a food pantry, the Family Food Connections (FFC), in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston. FFC offers weekly food supplies to BCH patient families and community members. GF food bags are available for those who request them. Monthly virtual cooking classes led by a registered dietitian are offered free of charge to families with and without CD. All classes are held via Zoom with simultaneous translation services available in Spanish. Classes feature naturally GF recipes, and provide instructions on scratch cooking, nutrition education, and use of ingredients found in the food packages. The recipes are designed to include seasonal ingredients and are used as a platform to teach about nutrition related topics. Classes also serve as an open forum for families to ask nutrition and meal preparation related questions to the dietitian instructor. Metrics on pantry usage and class attendance were collected using Zoom analytics tools and REDCap. Result(s) Utilization of both the food pantry and cooking classes increased monthly. During the first six months of operation, an average of 500 families per week visited the FFC for food packages, totaling over 5,000 unique family visits. Of these families, 122 indicated needing all gluten-free food (64) or some gluten-free food (58). As of May 2022, 34 families attended the live virtual cooking classes, and 628 families viewed the recorded sessions. Survey questionnaire responses were limited to date (N=11) but did indicate that families previously had never attended a cooking class due to a lack of time, or they were not aware that classes were available. Conclusion(s) Initial utilization of the FFC, GF food packages, and accompanying cooking classes revealed a significant demand for the provision of GF food as well as a GF focused cooking and nutrition education program. The classes allow for processing nutrition education through non-intentional learning, and provide an opportunity to improve health and quality of life for all who attend, regardless of dietary restrictions. Future studies will evaluate changes in health outcomes, quality of life, cooking habits, and GF diet knowledge.