Chicago and Dallas will have one less healthy prepared meal delivery service as a Blue Cross Blue Shield Association subsidiary ends serving affordable, nutritional meals to underserved neighborhoods.
Blue Cross Blue Shield Institute told users last week that it is closing the foodQ year-long pilot program that services what it calls nutrition deserts, places with limited healthy food options.
The ready-to-heat meals -- beef, chicken, fish, pork, and vegetarian options on its weekly rotating menu --include Jamaican jerk salmon, pasta primavera, and steak fried rice and are available in 40 zip codes; 25 in Chicago and 15 in Dallas.
Meals cost $10 each; but those paying a $10 monthly service fee get free delivery and a buy one, get one free offer that brings the cost down to $5 each. Non-subscribers pay the regular $10 meal price plus a $6 delivery charge. Customers can’t pay for the service using LINK or prepaid cards.
FoodQ started in February 2019 with delivery a couple of days a week, then expanded into next-day delivery and had planned to add meal kits in an effort to improve the health outcomes, particularly for diet-related, chronic conditions that contribute to high rates of emergency room visits and hospital admissions, the company said when announcing the program.
Customers didn’t have to be a Blue Cross healthplan subscriber to participate.
Chicago-based Kitchfix, which prepares dishes that fit specific dietary needs for subscriptions starting at $60 a week, makes and delivers the meals for the foodQ program in Chicago.
“During this period, more than 35,000 healthy and affordable meals were delivered and we gained valuable insights to further enhance and improve food and nutrition delivery programs,” Blue Cross Blue Shield said in a statement.
That amounts to about 2,900 meals a month -- about 730 per week -- between the two cities.
The company would not say why it was cutting the program, how many meals were delivered in Chicago versus Dallas, or if it would consider other food-related ventures.
It will take orders until March 29 and the final deliveries will be March 30.
from Specialty Food News https://ift.tt/2vvEigM
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