Diet QualityANCHORNCT07703501
Advancing North Shore Community Health Through Ocean-raised and faRm-grown Foods (ANCHOR Study)
A study testing Medically supportive meal kits in people with Diet Quality and Prevention, run by Tufts University at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
This study is testing a new way to support healthy eating by providing free meal kits through a food pantry. Adults who use The Open Door food pantry will receive meal kits that include fresh produce, seafood, and other ingredients, along with simple recipes and optional cooking demonstrations, over a 3-month period. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Diet Quality, Prevention
- What is being tested?
- Medically supportive meal kits
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 50 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 2 Jun 2026to Dec 2026
- 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 18 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Participants must meet all of the following:
- Be 18 years of age or older
- Be a client of The Open Door food pantry in Gloucester, MA
- Be able to provide informed consent
Who cannot join
- Under age 18
- Unable to provide informed consent
- Have a food allergy, medical condition, or dietary restriction that makes it unsafe to eat the study foods (e.g., seafood or milk allergy, liquid diet)
- Another member of the same household is already participating (only one participant per household)
- Planning to move out of the area within the next 4 months
- Previously participated in a healthy meal kit program at The Open Door
- Do not have reliable transportation to pick up meal kits
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
Tufts University (Investigator site) The Open Door (Recruitment & Intervention site)
Gloucester, Massachusetts, 01930
About this study
This study is testing a new way to support healthy eating by providing free meal kits through a food pantry. Adults who use The Open Door food pantry will receive meal kits that include fresh produce, seafood, and other ingredients, along with simple recipes and optional cooking demonstrations, over a 3-month period. The goal is to learn whether these meal kits are helpful, easy to use, and a good fit for the community. Researchers will also look at whether they help improve access to healthy foods, diet quality, and confidence with cooking. Participants will be asked to complete short surveys at the beginning and end of the study, and some may be invited to join a group discussion to share their experiences. Overall, the study aims to improve programs that connect people to healthy, locally sourced food and to inform future efforts to support nutrition and food access in the community.
- Conditions
- Diet Quality, Prevention
- Being tested
- Medically supportive meal kits
- Keywords
- Food is Medicine, Medically supportive groceries, Local food, DASH diet
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Medically supportive meal kitsBehavioural
Also called Medically supportive groceries, Food is Medicine, Meal kits
Participants in this single-arm pilot study will receive a nutrition-focused meal kit intervention delivered through a community food pantry. Over a 12-week period, participants will receive three meal kits per week during their regular pantry visits. Each meal kit includes fresh produce, locally sourced seafood, and pantry staple ingredients (e.g., grains, seasonings), bundled together with simple, culturally relevant recipes designed to support preparation of healthy meals at home. In addition to meal kit distribution, participants will be invited to attend optional onsite cooking demonstrations led by community partners, which provide hands-on guidance for preparing the recipes and using the provided ingredients. Participants will also complete a baseline and follow-up survey, and a subset may be invited to participate in focus groups to share feedback on their experience with the program.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Medically supportive meal kits | Experimental | Participants in this single-arm pilot study will receive a nutrition-focused meal kit intervention delivered through a community food pantry. Over a 12-week period, participants will receive three meal kits per week during their regular pantry visits. Each meal kit includes fresh produce, locally sourced seafood, and pantry staple ingredients (e.g., grains, seasonings), bundled together with simple, culturally relevant recipes designed to support preparation of healthy meals at home. In addition to meal kit distribution, participants will be invited to attend optional onsite cooking demonstrations led by community partners, which provide hands-on guidance for preparing the recipes and using the provided ingredients. Participants will also complete a baseline and follow-up survey, and a subset may be invited to participate in focus groups to share feedback on their experience with the program. Receives: Behavioral: Medically supportive meal kits |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Feasibility and Acceptability of Medically Supportive Meal Kit Program
The primary outcome assesses whether providing meal kits with locally sourced seafood and produce through a food pantry is practical and well-received. This includes measures such as participation and retention rates, adherence to receiving meal kits, and participant feedback on satisfaction, ease of use, and cultural relevance of the meal kits and materials.
Measured: From enrollment to the end of the study (end of 12-weeks)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted14 Jul 2026
- Study start2 Jun 2026
- Primary completionDec 2026 (estimated)
- Study completionDec 2026 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Diet QualityStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- 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
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 50 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Tufts University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Kelseanna Hollis-Hansen, PhD, MPH, Principal investigator, Tufts University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07703501
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- STUDY00006728
- Acronym
- ANCHOR
- Status last verified
- Jul 2026
- First submitted
- 8 Jul 2026
- Last updated
- 20 Jul 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: IPD including the study protocol, informed consent form, and clinical study report will be uploaded into the Tufts Dataverse library.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 20 Jul 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Advancing North Shore Community Health Through Ocean-raised and faRm-grown Foods (ANCHOR Study)
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07703501
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- ANCHOR / STUDY00006728
- Conditions
- Diet Quality, Prevention
- Keywords
- Food is Medicine, Medically supportive groceries, Local food, DASH diet
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Active, not recruiting
- Enrolment
- 50 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Tufts UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 2 Jun 2026 (actual)
- Primary completion
- Dec 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Dec 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 14 Jul 2026 (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.
This study is testing a new way to support healthy eating by providing free meal kits through a food pantry. Adults who use The Open Door food pantry will receive meal kits that include fresh produce, seafood, and other ingredients, along with simple recipes and optional cooking demonstrations, over a 3-month period. The goal is to learn whether these meal kits are helpful, easy to use, and a good fit for the community. Researchers will also look at whether they help improve access to healthy foods, diet quality, and confidence with cooking. Participants will be asked to complete short surveys at the beginning and end of the study, and some may be invited to join a group discussion to share their experiences. Overall, the study aims to improve programs that connect people to healthy, locally sourced food and to inform future efforts to support nutrition and food access in the community.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Not applicable
- Intervention model
- Single group
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Medically supportive meal kits | Experimental | Behavioral: Medically supportive meal kitsParticipants in this single-arm pilot study will receive a nutrition-focused meal kit intervention delivered through a community food pantry. Over a 12-week period, participants will receive three meal kits per week during their regular pantry visits. Each meal kit includes fresh produce, locally sourced seafood, and pantry staple ingredients (e.g., grains, seasonings), bundled together with simple, culturally relevant recipes designed to support preparation of healthy meals at home. In addition to meal kit distribution, participants will be invited to attend optional onsite cooking demonstrations led by community partners, which provide hands-on guidance for preparing the recipes and using the provided ingredients. Participants will also complete a baseline and follow-up survey, and a subset may be invited to participate in focus groups to share feedback on their experience with the program. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Be 18 years of age or older
- Be a client of The Open Door food pantry in Gloucester, MA
- Be able to provide informed consent
Key exclusion criteria (7 listed)
- Under age 18
- Unable to provide informed consent
- Have a food allergy, medical condition, or dietary restriction that makes it unsafe to eat the study foods (e.g., seafood or milk allergy, liquid diet)
- Another member of the same household is already participating (only one participant per household)
- Planning to move out of the area within the next 4 months
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Medically supportive meal kitsAlso: Medically supportive groceries, Food is Medicine, Meal kitsParticipants in this single-arm pilot study will receive a nutrition-focused meal kit intervention delivered through a community food pantry. Over a 12-week period, participants will receive three meal kits per week during their regular pantry visits. Each meal kit includes fresh produce, locally sourced seafood, and pantry staple ingredients (e.g., grains, seasonings), bundled together with simple, culturally relevant recipes designed to support preparation of healthy meals at home. In addition to meal kit distribution, participants will be invited to attend optional onsite cooking demonstrations led by community partners, which provide hands-on guidance for preparing the recipes and using the provided ingredients. Participants will also complete a baseline and follow-up survey, and a subset may be invited to participate in focus groups to share feedback on their experience with the program. | Behavioural | Medically supportive meal kits |
Primary outcome
Feasibility and Acceptability of Medically Supportive Meal Kit Program
Time frame: From enrollment to the end of the study (end of 12-weeks)
The primary outcome assesses whether providing meal kits with locally sourced seafood and produce through a food pantry is practical and well-received. This includes measures such as participation and retention rates, adherence to receiving meal kits, and participant feedback on satisfaction, ease of use, and cultural relevance of the meal kits and materials.
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 20 Jul 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. IPD including the study protocol, informed consent form, and clinical study report will be uploaded into the Tufts Dataverse library.
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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. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Kelseanna Hollis-Hansen, PhD, MPH principal investigator
Tufts 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 Medically supportive meal kits in people with Diet Quality and Prevention, run by Tufts 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 4 inclusion and 7 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: under way, not looking for participants, as of the sponsor's last update on 20 Jul 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?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Feasibility and Acceptability of Medically Supportive Meal Kit Program (time frame: From enrollment to the end of the study (end of 12-weeks)). 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 20 Jul 2026.