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A randomized study of 67 food-insecure adults, mostly over 65, found that fresh produce was prepared and eaten by 89.2% of participants receiving home deliveries, compared with 28.3% in a voucher group that had to visit a market. Meal kits did not raise use beyond produce delivery alone; the small, 12-week study does not establish whether the approach has the same results in other populations.
A 12-week randomized study by University at Buffalo researchers found that food-insecure older adults used fresh produce far more often when it was delivered to their homes than when they had to redeem vouchers at a market. Produce preparation and consumption reached 89.2% in both delivery groups, versus 28.3% in the market-voucher group, according to the study published in Frontiers in Public Health.
The study included 67 adults recruited through primary care clinics at Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo. Most were African American and over age 65, and participants reported having experienced food insecurity at times. Researchers randomly assigned them to one of three food-prescription approaches over 12 weeks.
One intervention group received weekly boxes of fresh produce delivered at home, with the option to customize the contents. A second received home-delivered meal kits containing produce and ingredients for three meals, with five to six kit options available each week. The comparison group received vouchers redeemable at the hospital’s mobile market or participating FeedMore Western New York markets.
Researchers defined redemption as preparing and consuming the delivered produce. That measure was 89.2% for each delivery group and 28.3% for the voucher group. Participants in the delivery arms rated the program above nine out of 10 on average and said they would recommend it to others, the report said. The study did not find that adding meal kits improved produce use over delivery alone.
Home Delivery Removes Market Barriers
The findings point to access and convenience as possible obstacles to food-prescription programs, which provide free food or produce to people experiencing food insecurity. Participants assigned to the voucher group had to travel to a market to obtain food; delivery removed that step. University at Buffalo associate professor Lucia A. Leone said transportation difficulties and concerns about being seen seeking assistance may help explain why some recipients do not redeem vouchers.
For health providers and organizations funding these programs, the results suggest that program design can affect whether food reaches participants and is used. The study also indicates that meal kits may not be necessary to raise produce use for this particular older adult group, although they may serve other needs. The findings measure program use, not changes in participants’ health, and do not establish that delivery will be equally effective or affordable at a larger scale.
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How Buffalo Tested Three Approaches
Food prescriptions are designed to address food insecurity by helping people obtain fruits, vegetables and other foods. The report says earlier research has found that only 9% to 18% of voucher recipients use them. That figure is cited as prior research, not as a result from the Buffalo trial; the trial’s own market-voucher group had a 28.3% use rate.
The researchers described their study as a comparison of two home-delivery models with the existing approach of redeeming vouchers at a mobile market. Delivery was the default for both intervention groups, while participants could customize their produce orders. Leone said the researchers aimed to test whether delivery increased use and whether meal kits encouraged participants to use more produce. The study was published in Frontiers in Public Health in 2026.
“The problem historically with food prescription programs is that people get the vouchers but don’t redeem them.”
— Lucia A. Leone, the study’s corresponding author and associate professor at the University at Buffalo
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Limits of the Trial’s Findings
The study was small, local and limited to 12 weeks, with 67 participants recruited from clinics in Buffalo. The report does not establish whether the results would hold for older adults in other regions, for a larger population, or for people with different food-access needs. It also does not report whether the programs produced measurable health improvements or compare their costs.
Researchers said produce use did not reach 100% in the delivery groups when participants were out of town or felt they already had enough food. The report does not provide enough detail to determine which features—home delivery, customization, the delivery worker’s relationship with participants, or other factors—accounted for how much of the difference. The comparison also does not show whether meal kits would help a different age group or population.
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Researchers Plan a Family Study
Leone and colleagues plan to conduct a similar study with families experiencing food insecurity who are enrolled in Medicaid and have children ages 2 to 6. The University at Buffalo researchers will work with local pediatric practices, according to the report. That research may test whether the delivery approach and meal-kit findings apply to a population with different food, cooking and household needs. No results or study timeline were provided in the source material.
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Key Questions
How much did home delivery change produce use in the study?
Researchers reported that 89.2% of produce in each home-delivery group was prepared and consumed, compared with 28.3% in the voucher group that had to visit a market. These are results from this 12-week study of 67 adults, not a guarantee of outcomes elsewhere.
Did meal kits lead participants to use more produce?
No additional increase was reported. Produce use was 89.2% in both delivery groups, whether participants received produce boxes alone or meal kits with produce and meal ingredients.
Who took part in the study?
The trial recruited 67 adults from primary care clinics at Erie County Medical Center in Buffalo. Most participants were African American, over 65 and had indicated that they had experienced food insecurity at times.
Does the study show that food delivery improved participants’ health?
The reported results concern produce preparation and consumption, not measured health outcomes. The source does not report evidence that the program improved participants’ health.
What research is planned next?
The University at Buffalo team plans a similar study with Medicaid families experiencing food insecurity and children ages 2 to 6, in partnership with local pediatric practices. The report did not give a timeline or results.
Source: rss
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