Making healthy meals more convenient through meal delivery services could improve depressive symptoms by removing some of the daily burdens that often accompany depression, according to a new University of Michigan study.
The study explored whether easier access to minimally processed foods could support mental health among adults experiencing moderate to moderately severe depressive symptoms.
Previous studies have linked healthier, minimally processed diets with reduced depression symptoms, but actually following those diets can be difficult for people struggling with fatigue, low motivation, stress and decision-making challenges.
"One of the biggest barriers to healthy eating during depression is that depression itself makes planning, shopping, cooking and decision-making much harder," said Ashley Gearhardt, professor of psychology and the lead investigator. "The meal delivery reduced that burden. It made the healthier choice the easier and more convenient choice."
Study participants followed a two-week minimally processed meal plan. Some received nutritional guidance and prepared meals on their own, while others received prepared, minimally processed meals through a commercial delivery service. Both groups improved the quality of their diets, but participants receiving meal deliveries showed larger reductions in depressive symptoms.
Researchers warned that the study was small and designed primarily to test feasibility rather than provide definitive clinical conclusions. Still, the findings are important because they add to growing evidence that nutrition may play a meaningful role in mental health treatment and that convenience may have unique benefits.
"We should think about nutrition as another important tool in the mental health toolbox, not as a replacement for therapy or medication," said Gearhardt, a member of the Eisenberg Family Depression Center, one of the funders. "Mental health is deeply connected to the brain and body, and food is one of the most fundamental biological inputs we have."
The findings also align with the growing national food as medicine movement, which examines how nutrition may support treatment for chronic illnesses. Gearhardt says mental health should increasingly become part of that conversation.
"If the brain and body are not adequately nourished, it may make it harder for traditional treatments like therapy or medication to work as effectively as they otherwise could," she said.
Many participants in the study were already receiving therapy, medication or both, yet continued to experience depressive symptoms. Researchers say the study highlights how making dietary change more convenient and supported may complement these treatments.
The study also raises broader questions about food accessibility and public health. Ultra-processed foods dominate many American diets because they are inexpensive, heavily marketed and often easier to obtain than healthier alternatives.
"This should not just be framed as individual responsibility," Gearhardt said. "It should also spark conversations about how we make nourishing food more affordable, accessible, and convenient for everyone."
While larger and longer-term studies are needed, researchers say the pilot findings suggest meal-delivery and nutrition-support programs could someday become part of healthcare approaches for vulnerable populations, including people with severe depression, postpartum mothers, or individuals transitioning from inpatient psychiatric care.
For people feeling overwhelmed by healthier eating, researchers recommended starting small rather than attempting dramatic changes all at once.
"The goal is progress, not perfection," said U-M research fellow and co-investigator Celina Furman. "Small, sustainable changes tend to matter much more than dramatic short-term overhauls."
The study, which appears in the latest issue of Scientific Reports, was also written by Ingrid Worth, Jacki Zhang, James Henderson, Elena Pokowitz, Kendrin Sonneville and Joyce Lee.
Funding came from various sources: REDCap at U-M is supported by the Michigan Institute for Clinical and Health Research, which is funded by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences of the National Institutes of Health. In addition to direct funding of this project, the authors are supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Lee is supported by U-M's Elizabeth Weiser Caswell Diabetes Institute and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
