An Exploration of Food Preferences of Clients at The Branch
Publication Date
Spring 4-22-2026
Presentation Length
Poster/Gallery presentation
College
College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences
Department
Occupational Therapy, School of
Student Level
Graduate
Faculty Mentor
Dr. Elicia Cruz
Presentation Type
Poster
Summary
Food pantries are one solution to addressing food insecurity, but more research is needed to investigate how well food pantries address the needs of the clients (Eskandari et al., 2022). For food pantries to be effective, service providers need to ensure food is culturally appropriate, clients are knowledgeable on how to cook with the food provided and clients have the cooking supplies in their homes required to prepare a meal with the food given (Leavell & Uskavitch, 2020). By investigating what foods clients prefer and are meaningful to them, we can gain knowledge that will contribute to addressing food insecurity in the long run to increase quality of life, participation in daily occupations, and project better health outcomes. This research reports clients’ food preferences at The Branch, a food pantry in Nashville, Tennessee.
Recommended Citation
Reynolds, Lauren; Eisenhart, Elsa; Tharp, Casey; Herrera, Maddie; and Watson, Grace, "An Exploration of Food Preferences of Clients at The Branch" (2026). SPARK Symposium Presentations. 1026.
https://repository.belmont.edu/spark_presentations/1026
