Free delivery and meal plan incentives boost healthy food purchases online, US study reveals

Providing incentives to caregivers of young children leads to increased purchases of healthy foods online and a decrease in food insecurity, a US study reveals. The findings suggest these incentives and support can improve access to nutritious foods for families in urban, low-income communities.

The pilot program was conducted by nutrition researchers at New York University (NYU) Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, led by Angela Trude, an assistant professor of nutrition.

According to the researchers, expanding Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to include online food purchases increased access to markets, but research showed that SNAP families who shopped online made fewer purchases of fruits, vegetables, and legumes.

SNAP is a federal program that provides financial assistance to low-income individuals and families to help them purchase food and improve food security.

“SNAP’s online rollout was a game-changer, but families told us delivery fees, mistrust in produce selection, and poor site navigation were major hurdles. We wanted to see if removing those barriers could drive healthier grocery choices,” Trude tells Food Ingredients First.

The study, published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, focused on the Bronx borough of New York City, which is known for its diverse communities but faces economic challenges, including areas with limited access to affordable, healthy food.

Targeting consistent grocery access

The study involved 59 caregivers of young children in the Bronx. It offered four interventions: free delivery only, dollar matching for fruits, vegetables, and legumes purchased with free delivery, weekly text messages with tips for online shopping with free delivery, and meal plans with grocery list recommendations with free delivery.

Results showed that 47% of participants created an online grocery account, and purchases of fruits, vegetables, and legumes increased from 20% to 21.6% of total grocery spending.

Participants appreciated the meal plans and grocery list recommendations provided during the study.“Online grocery isn’t just about convenience — it’s about consistency in access,” Trude explains.

“For 51% of low-income households we interviewed, it’s become a vital tool, especially when childcare, health, or safety issues make in-store shopping tough.”

The researchers highlight that participating households spent 20% of their grocery money on fruits, vegetables, and legumes before their intervention. After the program, the average rose to 21.6%. Regarding household food insecurity, participants reported a decrease of 0.6 points on a USDA assessment tool.

“Even in this small pilot, seeing families gain more reliable access to healthy foods is deeply encouraging, and drives us to expand this work,” says Trude.

Most participants had favorable views of the program, with nearly 90% finding the video tutorial helpful and 82% valuing the text messages. Many also appreciated the grocery lists and delivery fee waivers.

Encouraging healthier food choices

The promising feasibility and acceptability stated in the findings suggest a potential for a “fully powered trial behavioral intervention” to support online healthy food shopping, underscores the study.

Retailers can help overcome healthy food barriers online by waiving delivery fees and reducing marketing of ultra-processed items.The project has received new funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to expand the research and support its next phase.

“With NIH support, we’re scaling up to pinpoint the most effective and affordable strategies, creating a model that’s good for families and feasible for retailers,” Trude tells us.

She shares some strategies by which retailers can help address barriers to buying healthy foods online. 

“Waive delivery fees, train shoppers to pick good produce, make healthier foods easier to find online, and curb digital marketing of ultra-processed foods. These small steps can make a big difference.”

Since families were “highly receptive” to the incentives and each strategy was feasible to implement, Trude believes that even “small gains in vegetable purchases and food security show the potential.”

“Our next step is finding which mix of incentives has the greatest impact,” she concludes.