The UnProcessed Pantry Project (UP3)

UP3 uses the Social-Ecological Model to target multiple levels, including the food supply in the rural study location (community level), the food environment at the food pantry (environmental level), and participant dietary intake (individual level). It is hypothesized that UP3 will improve access to minimally processed foods and decrease access to ultra-processed foods at the food pantry, which will improve overall dietary quality of individuals as measured by the Healthy Eating Index-2015 compared to baseline and to the control group. Demographic and food security data will characterize the population. Psychosocial factors will be collected to understand changes in knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions about processed foods. Biomarkers of health data (i.e., weight, systolic blood pressure, HbA1c, fasting lipid panel) will be collected to determine the feasibility of measuring potential short-term health effects alongside UP3.