Nutritional Assessment of Meals Served in Six Free Meal Programs in San Francisco

Background: At least 1.8 million individuals in the U.S. ate in emergency kitchens in 2010. These kitchens provide a critical safety net for those with low income, marginal housing, and/or food insecurity. We systematically evaluated the nutritional adequacy of free meals. Methods: We analyzed six “soup-kitchens” in San Francisco who collectively serve the majority of free meals in the city. We examined 22 meals on non-consecutive days, collecting ingredient and portion size data, including food/nutrition labels and recipes. We analyzed nutrient (e.g., kilocalories, protein, fiber) content and compared to percentages of USDA's 2010 Daily Recommended Intake (DRI) standards. We used a moderately active 40 year-old male as the reference. Results: Assuming that one free meal represents about one-third of daily consumption, meals sampled were below target for calories (71% of DRI), fiber (69%), and cholesterol (96%), but above target for sugar (225%), fat (289%), protein (139%), and carbohydrates (169%). For micronutrients, the meals were above target for sodium (123%), vitamin C (163%), and iron (165%), but below for vitamins A & E (83% & 22%), calcium (57%), and potassium (40%). Conclusions: Free meals in San Francisco meet dietary guidelines on certain macro- and micro-nutrients. However, the excess sugar, fat, and carbohydrates as well as inadequate fiber suggest that these meals are nutritionally suboptimal, particularly for clients with chronic disease. Although organizations have indicated a strong desire to improve the nutritional adequacy of their meals, this improvement will require funding for raw ingredients, preparation space and equipment, and additional personnel time.