No abstract

PNS are based on the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and other food standards adopted by local, state and federal governments. City-funded food services provide over 20 million meals each year, presenting an opportunity to improve access to healthy food and reduce risk factors for major chronic diseases among individuals residing at shelters. Description: Health Promotion Council (HPC), a local nonprofit organization, provided quarterly training and technical assistance to kitchen staff at three Philadelphia OHS shelters from November 2016 through September 2017. Training focused on nutrition, healthy cooking techniques, PNS focus areas, meal planning and recipe development. Technical assistance was delivered to shelter management to support successful implementation of PNS and delivery of healthier meals. Evaluation: Implementation of selected PNS was assessed at individual technical assistance sessions through a mixed-method approach. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with kitchen staff to facilitate goal setting, assess barriers to implementing PNS, and inform program quality. An assessment was used to measure adoption of PNS and changes in food-service practices. The average percent of selected PNS adopted at the three sites increased from 55% at baseline to 87% at final follow-up. Specifically, compliance with two of the focus areas, increasing fruits and vegetables and sodium reduction, was documented at all sites. Conclusions and Implications: The integration of nutrition standards into city-funded foodservice programs combined with comprehensive trainings and technical assistance by a local nonprofit organization has the potential to enhance adoption and compliance, improving access to healthy foods for Philadelphians.