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Meeting Service Members Where They Are: Supporting Vegetable Consumption Through Convenient Meal Kits
Saachi Khurana1,2, Jonathan M Scott1, Christopher R D'Adamo3
1Consortium for Health and Military Performance, Department of Military and Emergency Medicine, F. Edward Hébert School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA.
Nutrients
|July 12, 2025
Summary
Military meal kits with spices and herbs did not significantly increase vegetable intake, but both spiced and plain options were highly consumed. Convenient meal solutions appear to improve vegetable consumption barriers for Service Members.
Area of Science:
- Nutrition Science
- Military Health
- Dietary Interventions
Background:
- Military Service Members (SMs) exhibit low vegetable intake, falling short of Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs).
- Inadequate vegetable consumption negatively impacts diet quality (Healthy Eating Index) and poses risks to military health and performance.
- Heat-and-serve meal kits and flavor enhancements (spices/herbs) may address access and taste barriers to improve SMs' vegetable intake.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of heat-and-serve meal kits with spices and herbs in increasing vegetable intake and liking among active-duty SMs.
- To assess the impact of sensory factors (spices) and accessibility (meal kits) on vegetable consumption barriers.
- To understand the role of convenient meal solutions in improving diet quality for military personnel.
Main Methods:
- A randomized study at Naval Support Activity Bethesda involving 400 active-duty SMs.
- Participants received heat-and-serve meal kits with four vegetables (broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, kale) in either spiced or plain preparations.
- Vegetable consumption was estimated using food photography (SmartIntake®) via QR code uploads, and liking was rated on a nine-point Likert scale.
Main Results:
- High overall intake of heat-and-serve vegetables was observed (1.73 out of 2 cups, 87%) in both spiced and plain preparations.
- No significant difference in consumption between spiced (1.75 cups) and plain (1.725 cups) vegetables (p = 0.87).
- Both spiced and plain vegetable preparations were well-accepted, indicating high palatability.
Conclusions:
- Convenient and accessible meal options, coupled with sensory strategies, show potential in mitigating vegetable consumption barriers for Service Members.
- Future research should investigate long-term effects and adaptability across diverse military settings.
- Further studies should consider additional influencing factors like convenience and time constraints on military dietary choices.
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