How Low-Income Mothers Select and Adapt Recipes and Implications for Promoting Healthy Recipes Online

Area of Science:

• Nutrition and Dietetics
• Public Health Campaigns
• Social Marketing

Background:

• The Food Hero campaign aimed to improve healthy eating among low-income mothers.
• Previous campaign efforts required refinement based on user feedback.

Purpose of the Study:

• To qualitatively evaluate and refine the content and delivery of recipes within the Food Hero social marketing campaign.
• To understand low-income mothers' preferences for recipes and recipe websites.

Main Methods:

• A 5-year qualitative evaluation (2011-2015) was conducted.
• Nine focus groups (n=55) were held with primary caregivers enrolled in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
• Participants were mothers aged 35-52, responsible for household food shopping and preparation.

Main Results:

• Mothers seek "go-to" family recipes and new recipes online, prioritizing those using available/preferred ingredients.
• Appealing recipe websites were polished, engaging for children, featured user ratings/comments, and were easily found via search engines.
• Generational influences on family meal preparation were identified as important.

Conclusions:

• Understanding the target audience's needs and preferences is essential for effective recipe development and delivery.
• Healthy, customizable recipes should be integrated into family "go-to" rotations, considering generational cooking influences.
• Recipe websites must meet user-defined criteria for engagement and accessibility to support obesity prevention initiatives.