Food InsecurityOPT-FRESHNCT07071753
Optimizing Online Purchasing of Fruits, Vegetables, and Legumes for Low-Income Families
A study testing Video tutorial, Delivery fee waiver and Texting in people with Food Insecurity and Healthy Eating, run by New York University at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
Food insecurity, that is, the lack of consistent access to nutritious and affordable food, is associated with poor diet, increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, and has a negative long-term impact on the economy through increased health care costs. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 2 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Food Insecurity, Healthy Eating
- What is being tested?
- Video tutorial, Delivery fee waiver and Texting
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 360 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 1 Jul 2026to 30 Dec 2029
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 2 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Adult (> 21 years old)
- Live in a household with a young child(ren) under the age of 10 years and above age 2.
- Primary shopper for the household
- Have access to a smartphone or computer to place online orders
- Participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in the past year or income eligible (annual household income =< 130% of the federal poverty line)
- Agree to share itemized grocery receipts during the study (12 months)
Show all 9Show fewer
- Willing to order groceries online
- English or Spanish speaker
- Informed consent
Who cannot join
None listed.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United States1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
La Peninsula Community Org, Inc.
New York, New York, 10459
Family Service Coordinator, 718-893-5074, aray@lapen.com
About this study
Official title: OPT-FRESH: Optimizing Online Purchasing of Fruits, Vegetables, and Legumes for Low-Income Families
Food insecurity, that is, the lack of consistent access to nutritious and affordable food, is associated with poor diet, increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, and has a negative long-term impact on the economy through increased health care costs. CVDs and food insecurity disproportionately affect Black and Hispanic families, and most of these racial health disparities can be attributed to social determinants of health, including poor access to healthy foods. A recent policy in the U.S. authorized the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to be used online to increase grocery access and promote healthy eating. Although online grocery shopping has been growing among populations of low-income, the selection of fruits, vegetables, and legumes (FVL), which are protective against CVD, is lower than in-store. Distrust of online hired shoppers' choices, fear of losing money on unsatisfactory purchases, and impulse of unhealthy food purchases have been the major barriers to online healthy food selection. Thus, there is a need for intervention packages that are effective, economical, and easily scalable into policies that address CVD-related outcomes and improve health equity. The proposed work will use a highly efficient methodological approach, the Multiphase Optimization Strategy (MOST), to test three experimental components aimed at barriers to online healthy food selection, called OPT-FRESH. This approach addresses weaknesses in prior studies, which cannot determine which elements of multicomponent interventions meaningfully improve outcomes. 360 families with children living in low-income urban communities of NYC will be randomized to receive some combination of the three experimental components for 12 weeks: 1) weekly text messages to improve the trust in online grocery services (off/on); 2) weekly match-up to $10 as a financial incentive for purchasing FVL online targeting loss aversion (off/on); 3) weekly instant shoppable grocery lists of culturally tailored meal suggestions using SNAP recipes targeted at impulse purchases (off/on). A monthly service fee waiver (3 in total), a monthly $5 stipend (3 in total), unlimited delivery fee waiver and a tutorial video addressing digital literacy will be constant components to promote equity in participant enrollment. Aim 1 will determine the combination(s) of the three experimental components that improve overall household FVL purchase and food insecurity (primary outcomes) and FVL intake of children (secondary outcome). Aim 2 will identify the optimized intervention that balances component(s) that are affordable and scalable (high adoption, implementation, maintenance) that still produce meaningful effects on the outcomes, using decision analysis for intervention value efficiency. Aim 3 will determine the mechanistic effects of the three intervention components on the outcomes using factorial mediation analysis. Working with community-based organizations and nutrition and hunger relief programs in NYC, a grocery delivery service, and a team with unparalleled expertise in experimental trials, policy, and MOST, we will implement optimized, affordable, and scalable intervention strategies to improve neighborhood food access and ultimately CVD outcomes in socially vulnerable families.
Read the detailed description
OPT-FRESH will use a highly efficient methodological approach for intervention development, the multiphase optimization strategy (MOST). We will partner with the private sector (Instacart) to leverage strategies from the public sector (SNAP) and test three experimental components aimed at barriers to online healthy food selection. The three experimental components, which were found in our pilot work to be feasible and acceptable, include: 1) weekly text messages to improve trust in online grocery services; 2) weekly match of up to $10 as a financial incentive for purchasing FVL online; and 3) weekly instant shoppable grocery lists of tailored meal suggestions using SNAP-Ed recipes. Moreover, as our pilot demonstrated that waiving delivery fees enabled more equitable participant enrollment and online grocery uptake, all participants will have the online delivery fee waived for the intervention period (12 weeks), along with a tutorial video addressing digital literacy to further promote equity in enrollment, a monthly service fee waiver (3 in total) and a monthly $5 stipend (3 in total). A sample of 360 families with young children living in low-income urban communities of NYC will be randomized to receive some combination of the experimental components for 12 weeks. We will test component effects at 12 weeks and test maintenance in the absence of intervention (no fee waiving, experimental components) 9 months post-intervention.
We will conduct additional formative research before the intervention is implemented to ensure Cultural tailoring of OPT-FRESH. We will hold 2-5 focus group discussions with caregivers of young children with low-income to gather feedback on intervention materials and research procedures informed by key areas of the Ecological Validity Model: i) Language-feedback on intervention materials, including a tutorial on using Instacart; ii) Persons-recruitment and "buy-in" factors; iii) Metaphors-symbols and sayings that resonate with participants; iv) Content-grocery items needed to address food insecurity, including culturally appropriate options; v) Methods-feedback on text messages, online surveys, and intervention delivery; and vi) Context-barriers to participation and adherence. Then, a group of approximately 10 SNAP-eligible adult caregivers of children will be invited to form our community stakeholder team. They will be engaged throughout the intervention to include their voices and lived experiences in the project. The group will meet virtually once or twice a year to provide feedback on key areas of the intervention.
- Conditions
- Food Insecurity, Healthy Eating
- Being tested
- Video tutorial, Delivery fee waiver, Texting, Financial incentive, Grocery list with instant shoppable SNAP-Ed recipes
- Keywords
- MOST, Healthy eating, Online grocery purchase, SNAP
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Video tutorialBehavioural
At the onset of the intervention, all participants will receive tutorial videos via text, covering Instacart account setup, online item selection, and SNAP-eligible stores, aiming to improve digital literacy in grocery shopping. The video was developed by our team, reviewed by SNAP-Ed partners, and available in English and Spanish. Despite being considered helpful during the pilot, nearly half of the participants reported not receiving or watching the tutorial video. To address this, we will call all participants within the trial's first week to provide technical assistance, including step-by-step instructions on redemption of the free delivery membership. Phone follow-ups were well-received during the pilot. Also, an intervention package will be mailed to all participants as material to be referred to in the calls and throughout the intervention.
Delivery fee waiverBehavioural
All participants will receive a 12-week Instacart+ Membership e-gift card, a monthly one-time use service fee waiver (3 in total) and a monthly one-time use $5 stipend (3 in total) eliminating the online delivery fee for orders >$10.
TextingBehavioural
Participants randomized to this component will receive 2 text messages weekly via EZ text to enhance their perception of behavioral control and trust in online grocery services. Text messages, deemed acceptable during our pilot, will be actionable, informed by constructs of the Theory of Planned Behavior, and tailored to assist shoppers using Instacart delivery services. We will deliver 24 short text messages (<160 characters), on Friday afternoons and Mondays, each with one or more of the purposes rooted in behavior change techniques: increasing salience of the benefits of online grocery, modeling steps in behavior change, giving facts to address mistrust or improve control, asking questions to promote engagement, adding anonymized quotations from the pilot participants to reinforce social norms.
Financial incentiveBehavioural
Participants randomized to this component (alone or in combination with another experimental condition) will receive $1 for each dollar spent on fresh, frozen, or canned FVL loaded onto Instacart Fresh Funds, verified based on the submitted online grocery receipt or data from Instacart. The incentive applies to online purchases only and will not be earned for in-store transactions. A maximum weekly matched incentive will be set to $10, following the local FV incentive NYC ("Get the Good Stuff"). Fresh Funds earned, supported by Instacart Health, is an infrastructure integrated with retailer payment systems. Incentives will only be used for purchases of healthier foods (FVL) predetermined by the research team, as it has been used by FV prescription programs.
Grocery list with instant shoppable SNAP-Ed recipesBehavioural
Participants randomized to this component will receive weekly SNAP-Ed-based meal plans with instant shoppable grocery lists tailored to household size, dietary, and cultural preferences. All recipes will emphasize FVL-based eating patterns with Hispanic cuisine influences that have FVL as primary ingredients. Grocery lists organized by store department and recipe, will reflect the nearest available in-store unit. For example, if one recipe calls for 1 cup of flour, a small flour bag will be added to the list. Weekly meal plans will be shared via text as a photo and mailed as hard copies, with instant shoppable lists generated through Instacart's List feature as a hyperlink. Links to the instant shoppable list will be shared via text. Upon clicking, grocery items will be pre-filled automatically in the participant's online shopping cart. Participants can modify items and quantities before checking out.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Texting + Financial Incentive + Shoppable List | Experimental | Online grocery delivery fee waiver, a monthly one-time use service fee waiver (3 in total), a monthly one-time use $5 stipend (3 in total) and a tutorial video addressing digital literacy will be constant components, meaning that it will be available to all participants in the study. Plus:
1. weekly text messages to improve the trust in online grocery services;
2. weekly match-up to $10 as a financial incentive for purchasing FVL online targeting loss aversion;
3. weekly instant shoppable grocery lists of culturally tailored meal suggestions using SNAP recipes targeted at impulse purchases. Receives: Behavioral: Video tutorial; Behavioral: Delivery fee waiver; Behavioral: Texting; Behavioral: Financial incentive; Behavioral: Grocery list with instant shoppable SNAP-Ed recipes |
| Texting + Financial Incentive | Experimental | Online grocer delivery fee waiver, a monthly one-time use service fee waiver (3 in total), a monthly one-time use $5 stipend (3 in total) and a tutorial video addressing digital literacy will be constant components, meaning that it will be available to all participants in the study. Plus:
1. weekly text messages to improve the trust in online grocery services;
2. weekly match-up to $10 as a financial incentive for purchasing FVL online targeting loss aversion; Receives: Behavioral: Video tutorial; Behavioral: Delivery fee waiver; Behavioral: Texting; Behavioral: Financial incentive |
| Texting only | Experimental | Online grocer delivery fee waive, a monthly one-time use service fee waiver (3 in total), a monthly one-time use $5 stipend (3 in total) and a tutorial video addressing digital literacy will be constant components, meaning that it will be available to all participants in the study. Plus:
1) weekly text messages to improve the trust in online grocery services; Receives: Behavioral: Video tutorial; Behavioral: Texting |
| Financial Incentive + Shoppable List | Experimental | Online grocer delivery fee waiver, a monthly one-time use service fee waiver (3 in total), a monthly one-time use $5 stipend (3 in total) and a tutorial video addressing digital literacy will be constant components, meaning that it will be available to all participants in the study. Plus:
1. weekly match-up to $10 as a financial incentive for purchasing FVL online targeting loss aversion;
2. weekly instant shoppable grocery lists of culturally tailored meal suggestions using SNAP recipes targeted at impulse purchases. Receives: Behavioral: Video tutorial; Behavioral: Delivery fee waiver; Behavioral: Financial incentive; Behavioral: Grocery list with instant shoppable SNAP-Ed recipes |
| Texting + Shoppable List | Experimental | Online grocer delivery fee waiver, a monthly one-time use service fee waiver (3 in total), a monthly one-time use $5 stipend (3 in total) and a tutorial video addressing digital literacy will be constant components, meaning that it will be available to all participants in the study. Plus:
1. weekly text messages to improve the trust in online grocery services;
2. weekly instant shoppable grocery lists of culturally tailored meal suggestions using SNAP recipes targeted at impulse purchases. Receives: Behavioral: Video tutorial; Behavioral: Delivery fee waiver; Behavioral: Texting; Behavioral: Grocery list with instant shoppable SNAP-Ed recipes |
| Shoppable List | Experimental | Online grocer delivery fee waiver, a monthly one-time use service fee waiver (3 in total), a monthly one-time use $5 stipend (3 in total) and a tutorial video addressing digital literacy will be constant components, meaning that it will be available to all participants in the study. Plus:
1) weekly instant shoppable grocery lists of culturally tailored meal suggestions using SNAP recipes targeted at impulse purchases. Receives: Behavioral: Video tutorial; Behavioral: Delivery fee waiver; Behavioral: Grocery list with instant shoppable SNAP-Ed recipes |
| Financial Incentive | Experimental | Online grocer delivery fee waiver, a monthly one-time use service fee waiver (3 in total), a monthly one-time use $5 stipend (3 in total) and a tutorial video addressing digital literacy will be constant components, meaning that it will be available to all participants in the study. Plus:
1) weekly match-up to $10 as a financial incentive for purchasing FVL online targeting loss aversion. Receives: Behavioral: Video tutorial; Behavioral: Delivery fee waiver; Behavioral: Financial incentive |
| Delivery fee waived only | Active comparator | Online grocer delivery fee waiver, a monthly one-time use service fee waiver (3 in total), a monthly one-time use $5 stipend (3 in total) and a tutorial video addressing digital literacy will be constant components, meaning that it will be available to all participants in the study. Receives: Behavioral: Video tutorial; Behavioral: Delivery fee waiver |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Household Food Security
Change in household food security from baseline will be measured using the 18-item validated USDA screening tool mid-intervention (6-week), post-intervention (12-week), and maintenance (12 months)
Measured: 6 weeks, 12 weeks, and 12 months
Household Purchase of Fruit, Vegetable, and Legumes.
Change in household purchase of fruits, vegetables, and legumes (online and in-store) from baseline will be assessed via itemized grocery receipts obtained via text messages mid-intervention (6-week), post-intervention (12-week), and maintenance (12 months)
Measured: 6 weeks, 12 weeks, and 12 months
Secondary outcomes (1)
Consumption of Fruit, Vegetable, and Legumes
Change in consumption of fruits and vegetables from baseline will be assessed via skin carotenoid using Veggie Meter in-person among adults and children at baseline and at 12-week
Measured: 12 weeks
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted17 Jul 2025
- Study start1 Jul 2026
- Primary completion30 Mar 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion30 Dec 2029 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Food InsecurityStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by New York UniversityThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Factorial
- Masking
- Double blind
- Who is masked
- Investigator, Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 360 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- New York University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Angela Trude, PhD, Principal investigator, New York University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07071753
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- IRB-FY2025-10110
- Acronym
- OPT-FRESH
- Status last verified
- Nov 2025
- First submitted
- 8 Jul 2025
- Last updated
- 11 Sep 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No: At this time, there are no plans to share IPD due to limitations related to participant privacy, the sensitive nature of the data collected, and constraints in the informed consent process that do not allow for broad data sharing. While we support data transparency, any future sharing would require additional ethical review and participant re-consent to ensure privacy protections are upheld.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 11 Sep 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- OPT-FRESH: Optimizing Online Purchasing of Fruits, Vegetables, and Legumes for Low-Income Families
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07071753
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- OPT-FRESH / IRB-FY2025-10110
- Conditions
- Food Insecurity, Healthy Eating
- Keywords
- MOST, Healthy eating, Online grocery purchase, SNAP
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 360 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- New York UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Jul 2026 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 30 Mar 2028 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 30 Dec 2029 (estimated)
- First posted
- 17 Jul 2025 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Food insecurity, that is, the lack of consistent access to nutritious and affordable food, is associated with poor diet, increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, and has a negative long-term impact on the economy through increased health care costs. CVDs and food insecurity disproportionately affect Black and Hispanic families, and most of these racial health disparities can be attributed to social determinants of health, including poor access to healthy foods. A recent policy in the U.S. authorized the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to be used online to increase grocery access and promote healthy eating. Although online grocery shopping has been growing among populations of low-income, the selection of fruits, vegetables, and legumes (FVL), which are protective against CVD, is lower than in-store. Distrust of online hired shoppers' choices, fear of losing money on unsatisfactory purchases, and impulse of unhealthy food purchases have been the major barriers to online healthy food selection. Thus, there is a need for intervention packages that are effective, economical, and easily scalable into policies that address CVD-related outcomes and improve health equity. The proposed work will use a highly efficient methodological approach, the Multiphase Optimization Strategy (MOST), to test three experimental components aimed at barriers to online healthy food selection, called OPT-FRESH. This approach addresses weaknesses in prior studies, which cannot determine which elements of multicomponent interventions meaningfully improve outcomes. 360 families with children living in low-income urban communities of NYC will be randomized to receive some combination of the three experimental components for 12 weeks: 1) weekly text messages to improve the trust in online grocery services (off/on); 2) weekly match-up to $10 as a financial incentive for purchasing FVL online targeting loss aversion (off/on); 3) weekly instant shoppable grocery lists of culturally tailored meal suggestions using SNAP recipes targeted at impulse purchases (off/on). A monthly service fee waiver (3 in total), a monthly $5 stipend (3 in total), unlimited delivery fee waiver and a tutorial video addressing digital literacy will be constant components to promote equity in participant enrollment. Aim 1 will determine the combination(s) of the three experimental components that improve overall household FVL purchase and food insecurity (primary outcomes) and FVL intake of children (secondary outcome). Aim 2 will identify the optimized intervention that balances component(s) that are affordable and scalable (high adoption, implementation, maintenance) that still produce meaningful effects on the outcomes, using decision analysis for intervention value efficiency. Aim 3 will determine the mechanistic effects of the three intervention components on the outcomes using factorial mediation analysis. Working with community-based organizations and nutrition and hunger relief programs in NYC, a grocery delivery service, and a team with unparalleled expertise in experimental trials, policy, and MOST, we will implement optimized, affordable, and scalable intervention strategies to improve neighborhood food access and ultimately CVD outcomes in socially vulnerable families.
Detailed description
OPT-FRESH will use a highly efficient methodological approach for intervention development, the multiphase optimization strategy (MOST). We will partner with the private sector (Instacart) to leverage strategies from the public sector (SNAP) and test three experimental components aimed at barriers to online healthy food selection. The three experimental components, which were found in our pilot work to be feasible and acceptable, include: 1) weekly text messages to improve trust in online grocery services; 2) weekly match of up to $10 as a financial incentive for purchasing FVL online; and 3) weekly instant shoppable grocery lists of tailored meal suggestions using SNAP-Ed recipes. Moreover, as our pilot demonstrated that waiving delivery fees enabled more equitable participant enrollment and online grocery uptake, all participants will have the online delivery fee waived for the intervention period (12 weeks), along with a tutorial video addressing digital literacy to further promote equity in enrollment, a monthly service fee waiver (3 in total) and a monthly $5 stipend (3 in total). A sample of 360 families with young children living in low-income urban communities of NYC will be randomized to receive some combination of the experimental components for 12 weeks. We will test component effects at 12 weeks and test maintenance in the absence of intervention (no fee waiving, experimental components) 9 months post-intervention.
We will conduct additional formative research before the intervention is implemented to ensure Cultural tailoring of OPT-FRESH. We will hold 2-5 focus group discussions with caregivers of young children with low-income to gather feedback on intervention materials and research procedures informed by key areas of the Ecological Validity Model: i) Language-feedback on intervention materials, including a tutorial on using Instacart; ii) Persons-recruitment and "buy-in" factors; iii) Metaphors-symbols and sayings that resonate with participants; iv) Content-grocery items needed to address food insecurity, including culturally appropriate options; v) Methods-feedback on text messages, online surveys, and intervention delivery; and vi) Context-barriers to participation and adherence. Then, a group of approximately 10 SNAP-eligible adult caregivers of children will be invited to form our community stakeholder team. They will be engaged throughout the intervention to include their voices and lived experiences in the project. The group will meet virtually once or twice a year to provide feedback on key areas of the intervention.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Factorial
- Masking
- Double blind (investigator, outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 8
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Texting + Financial Incentive + Shoppable List | Experimental | Behavioral: Video tutorial, Behavioral: Delivery fee waiver, Behavioral: Texting, Behavioral: Financial incentive, Behavioral: Grocery list with instant shoppable SNAP-Ed recipesOnline grocery delivery fee waiver, a monthly one-time use service fee waiver (3 in total), a monthly one-time use $5 stipend (3 in total) and a tutorial video addressing digital literacy will be constant components, meaning that it will be available to all participants in the study. Plus: 1. weekly text messages to improve the trust in online grocery services; 2. weekly match-up to $10 as a financial incentive for purchasing FVL online targeting loss aversion; 3. weekly instant shoppable grocery lists of culturally tailored meal suggestions using SNAP recipes targeted at impulse purchases. |
| Texting + Financial Incentive | Experimental | Behavioral: Video tutorial, Behavioral: Delivery fee waiver, Behavioral: Texting, Behavioral: Financial incentiveOnline grocer delivery fee waiver, a monthly one-time use service fee waiver (3 in total), a monthly one-time use $5 stipend (3 in total) and a tutorial video addressing digital literacy will be constant components, meaning that it will be available to all participants in the study. Plus: 1. weekly text messages to improve the trust in online grocery services; 2. weekly match-up to $10 as a financial incentive for purchasing FVL online targeting loss aversion; |
| Texting only | Experimental | Behavioral: Video tutorial, Behavioral: TextingOnline grocer delivery fee waive, a monthly one-time use service fee waiver (3 in total), a monthly one-time use $5 stipend (3 in total) and a tutorial video addressing digital literacy will be constant components, meaning that it will be available to all participants in the study. Plus: 1) weekly text messages to improve the trust in online grocery services; |
| Financial Incentive + Shoppable List | Experimental | Behavioral: Video tutorial, Behavioral: Delivery fee waiver, Behavioral: Financial incentive, Behavioral: Grocery list with instant shoppable SNAP-Ed recipesOnline grocer delivery fee waiver, a monthly one-time use service fee waiver (3 in total), a monthly one-time use $5 stipend (3 in total) and a tutorial video addressing digital literacy will be constant components, meaning that it will be available to all participants in the study. Plus: 1. weekly match-up to $10 as a financial incentive for purchasing FVL online targeting loss aversion; 2. weekly instant shoppable grocery lists of culturally tailored meal suggestions using SNAP recipes targeted at impulse purchases. |
| Texting + Shoppable List | Experimental | Behavioral: Video tutorial, Behavioral: Delivery fee waiver, Behavioral: Texting, Behavioral: Grocery list with instant shoppable SNAP-Ed recipesOnline grocer delivery fee waiver, a monthly one-time use service fee waiver (3 in total), a monthly one-time use $5 stipend (3 in total) and a tutorial video addressing digital literacy will be constant components, meaning that it will be available to all participants in the study. Plus: 1. weekly text messages to improve the trust in online grocery services; 2. weekly instant shoppable grocery lists of culturally tailored meal suggestions using SNAP recipes targeted at impulse purchases. |
| Shoppable List | Experimental | Behavioral: Video tutorial, Behavioral: Delivery fee waiver, Behavioral: Grocery list with instant shoppable SNAP-Ed recipesOnline grocer delivery fee waiver, a monthly one-time use service fee waiver (3 in total), a monthly one-time use $5 stipend (3 in total) and a tutorial video addressing digital literacy will be constant components, meaning that it will be available to all participants in the study. Plus: 1) weekly instant shoppable grocery lists of culturally tailored meal suggestions using SNAP recipes targeted at impulse purchases. |
| Financial Incentive | Experimental | Behavioral: Video tutorial, Behavioral: Delivery fee waiver, Behavioral: Financial incentiveOnline grocer delivery fee waiver, a monthly one-time use service fee waiver (3 in total), a monthly one-time use $5 stipend (3 in total) and a tutorial video addressing digital literacy will be constant components, meaning that it will be available to all participants in the study. Plus: 1) weekly match-up to $10 as a financial incentive for purchasing FVL online targeting loss aversion. |
| Delivery fee waived only | Active comparator | Behavioral: Video tutorial, Behavioral: Delivery fee waiverOnline grocer delivery fee waiver, a monthly one-time use service fee waiver (3 in total), a monthly one-time use $5 stipend (3 in total) and a tutorial video addressing digital literacy will be constant components, meaning that it will be available to all participants in the study. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 2 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (9 listed)
- Adult (> 21 years old)
- Live in a household with a young child(ren) under the age of 10 years and above age 2.
- Primary shopper for the household
- Have access to a smartphone or computer to place online orders
- Participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in the past year or income eligible (annual household income =< 130% of the federal poverty line)
Key exclusion criteria (0 listed)
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Video tutorialAt the onset of the intervention, all participants will receive tutorial videos via text, covering Instacart account setup, online item selection, and SNAP-eligible stores, aiming to improve digital literacy in grocery shopping. The video was developed by our team, reviewed by SNAP-Ed partners, and available in English and Spanish. Despite being considered helpful during the pilot, nearly half of the participants reported not receiving or watching the tutorial video. To address this, we will call all participants within the trial's first week to provide technical assistance, including step-by-step instructions on redemption of the free delivery membership. Phone follow-ups were well-received during the pilot. Also, an intervention package will be mailed to all participants as material to be referred to in the calls and throughout the intervention. | Behavioural | Delivery fee waived only, Financial Incentive, Financial Incentive + Shoppable List, Shoppable List, Texting + Financial Incentive, Texting + Financial Incentive + Shoppable List, Texting + Shoppable List, Texting only |
| Delivery fee waiverAll participants will receive a 12-week Instacart+ Membership e-gift card, a monthly one-time use service fee waiver (3 in total) and a monthly one-time use $5 stipend (3 in total) eliminating the online delivery fee for orders >$10. | Behavioural | Delivery fee waived only, Financial Incentive, Financial Incentive + Shoppable List, Shoppable List, Texting + Financial Incentive, Texting + Financial Incentive + Shoppable List, Texting + Shoppable List |
| TextingParticipants randomized to this component will receive 2 text messages weekly via EZ text to enhance their perception of behavioral control and trust in online grocery services. Text messages, deemed acceptable during our pilot, will be actionable, informed by constructs of the Theory of Planned Behavior, and tailored to assist shoppers using Instacart delivery services. We will deliver 24 short text messages (<160 characters), on Friday afternoons and Mondays, each with one or more of the purposes rooted in behavior change techniques: increasing salience of the benefits of online grocery, modeling steps in behavior change, giving facts to address mistrust or improve control, asking questions to promote engagement, adding anonymized quotations from the pilot participants to reinforce social norms. | Behavioural | Texting + Financial Incentive, Texting + Financial Incentive + Shoppable List, Texting + Shoppable List, Texting only |
| Financial incentiveParticipants randomized to this component (alone or in combination with another experimental condition) will receive $1 for each dollar spent on fresh, frozen, or canned FVL loaded onto Instacart Fresh Funds, verified based on the submitted online grocery receipt or data from Instacart. The incentive applies to online purchases only and will not be earned for in-store transactions. A maximum weekly matched incentive will be set to $10, following the local FV incentive NYC ("Get the Good Stuff"). Fresh Funds earned, supported by Instacart Health, is an infrastructure integrated with retailer payment systems. Incentives will only be used for purchases of healthier foods (FVL) predetermined by the research team, as it has been used by FV prescription programs. | Behavioural | Financial Incentive, Financial Incentive + Shoppable List, Texting + Financial Incentive, Texting + Financial Incentive + Shoppable List |
| Grocery list with instant shoppable SNAP-Ed recipesParticipants randomized to this component will receive weekly SNAP-Ed-based meal plans with instant shoppable grocery lists tailored to household size, dietary, and cultural preferences. All recipes will emphasize FVL-based eating patterns with Hispanic cuisine influences that have FVL as primary ingredients. Grocery lists organized by store department and recipe, will reflect the nearest available in-store unit. For example, if one recipe calls for 1 cup of flour, a small flour bag will be added to the list. Weekly meal plans will be shared via text as a photo and mailed as hard copies, with instant shoppable lists generated through Instacart's List feature as a hyperlink. Links to the instant shoppable list will be shared via text. Upon clicking, grocery items will be pre-filled automatically in the participant's online shopping cart. Participants can modify items and quantities before checking out. | Behavioural | Financial Incentive + Shoppable List, Shoppable List, Texting + Financial Incentive + Shoppable List, Texting + Shoppable List |
Primary outcome
Household Food Security
Time frame: 6 weeks, 12 weeks, and 12 months
Change in household food security from baseline will be measured using the 18-item validated USDA screening tool mid-intervention (6-week), post-intervention (12-week), and maintenance (12 months)
Household Purchase of Fruit, Vegetable, and Legumes.
Time frame: 6 weeks, 12 weeks, and 12 months
Change in household purchase of fruits, vegetables, and legumes (online and in-store) from baseline will be assessed via itemized grocery receipts obtained via text messages mid-intervention (6-week), post-intervention (12-week), and maintenance (12 months)
1 secondary outcome
Consumption of Fruit, Vegetable, and Legumes
Time frame: 12 weeks
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 11 Sep 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No. At this time, there are no plans to share IPD due to limitations related to participant privacy, the sensitive nature of the data collected, and constraints in the informed consent process that do not allow for broad data sharing. While we support data transparency, any future sharing would require additional ethical review and participant re-consent to ensure privacy protections are upheld.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Angela Trude, PhD principal investigator
New York University
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Video tutorial, Delivery fee waiver and Texting in people with Food Insecurity and Healthy Eating, run by New York University at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 9 inclusion and 0 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 11 Sep 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Angela Trude, PhD (212-988-5456, at5285@nyu.edu), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Household Food Security (time frame: 6 weeks, 12 weeks, and 12 months). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 11 Sep 2026.