Meal planning program to reduce barriers and improve diet quality in worksite wellness center members

Objective: Many adults struggle with eating healthfully. To address this problem, dietitians and a physician at a worksite wellness center designed and implemented a healthy eating program to identify and reduce barriers and to improve nutrition knowledge, confidence, and eating habits. Methods: A single cohort study design of members of a worksite wellness center who attended the program. Results: Eight-six participants demonstrated significant improvement in reducing perceived barriers (P<0.001), improving nutritional knowledge (P=0.001), increasing confidence (P<0.001), and increasing the frequency of preparing healthy meals (P<0.001) and intake of fruits and vegetables (P<0.001). These improvements were maintained at the 6-month follow-up. Conclusion: These results suggest that participation in a 6-week nutrition education program at a worksite wellness center decreases barriers to healthy eating and improves dietary intake.