Overview of Media Creation

An intervention was created consisting of recipe development and video resources to provide Minerva’s Market patrons with the tools to make nutritious meals from pantry foods. This intervention was created from June 2023 to September 2023. The researcher first acquired lists of supplies from CARE on what is stocked in Minerva’s Market weekly. Recipes were then adapted or created by the researcher and then tested for their accuracy, the amount of ingredients needed, how hard the recipe was to follow, the amount of time it took to prepare, the taste, the texture, the health attributes, and the ability to freeze it. Four recipes were then chosen to create instructional cooking videos. Patrons would then have access to the created recipes and videos.

The results of part 1 and 2 influenced the materials created for the intervention. Two cookbooks, one focused on microwaveable meals in a dorm room and one focused on cooking in an apartment, were created. Then two recipes from each cookbook were chosen to have instructional cooking videos created. These videos were shot in the Instagram reel style to make them more approachable to the Minerva‘s Market patrons. 

This intervention was intended to build confidence in Minerva’s Market patrons and give them more control over their situation by offering simple healthy meals that they can make on their own. The recipes were adapted or created to fit what kinds of food supplies Minerva’s Market has on hand regularly. This ensures that the patrons can use these cookbooks often and feel less like they are visiting a “food pantry” to get their groceries.

 All recipes had codewords at the end of the steps to show ingredients in the recipes that hold certain health attributes or followed a particular diet such as high fiber, high protein, unsaturated fat/Omega 3s, whole grains, gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian.