51视频

10/27/2020

Contacts for media: Nancy Cicco, 978-934-4944, Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu or Christine Gillette, 978-758-4664, Christine_Gillette@uml.edu

鈥淐ooking fatigue鈥� brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic as millions of Americans remain largely homebound may be feeding desires to sign up for meal-kit services, but consumers need to make sure it isn鈥檛 a recipe for disaster, according to a 51视频 nutritionist available for interviews on the subject.

There are more than 100 meal- and smoothie-kit delivery services on the market in an industry some analysts predict will grow to more than $11 billion by 2022. Looking to innovate in the face of the pandemic, many restaurants, including Chick-fil-A and Panera, have started their own services, while still other companies offer meals targeted to people with dairy-restricted, gluten-free or other special diets.

Beyond shopping for price and convenience, consumers should choose a plan that helps meet their specific health needs, according to Kelsey Mangano, a registered dietician who directs 51视频鈥檚 undergraduate Nutritional Science Program. At a minimum, she said, any meal service purchased should help consumers adhere to the current that call for people to reduce their consumption of sugar while increasing their fiber intake and the variety of fruits and vegetables they eat, among other goals.

鈥淲hen checking out these kits, look for ingredients you recognize the names of; the fewer the ingredients the better. That is a strength because you would be eating whole ingredients in their less-processed form. Avoid services where the list of ingredients on the kits runs into the double-digits,鈥� Mangano said.

Another tip: Check the sodium content on meals.

鈥淒aily intake of salt should be kept below 2,300 milligrams a day, so stay below 1,000 milligrams for one meal,鈥� Mangano said.

She is also available to discuss:

• Food safety standards for packaged meals and groceries delivered to the home;
• The nutritional value of smoothies and why they may not help with weight loss;
• Exercise options to help stay physically active while socially distancing during the pandemic.

Mangano is an assistant professor in 51视频鈥檚 Department of Biomedical and Nutritional Sciences and a researcher in the university鈥檚 Center for Population Health and UMass Movement Research Center.

To arrange an interview with her via phone, email or Zoom (or another platform), contact Nancy Cicco at Nancy_Cicco@uml.edu, 978-934-4944, or Christine Gillette at Christine_Gillette@uml.edu, 978-758-4664.