Restaurant-Based Nutritious Eating with Soul Intervention with Meal Provision Improves Weight Loss among African American Adults Versus Meal Provision Alone

Background: African-American adults have disparate rates of chronic disease, and plant-based diets pose 1 way to mitigate disease risk. Dissemination and implementation (D&I) studies of nutrition programs in community settings are needed to scale successful interventions. Objectives: This type 2 hybrid effectiveness trial reports outcomes of weight loss (kg), diet quality (Healthy Eating Index score), and blood pressure (mmHg) among African-American adults in a 12-wk nutrition intervention. Methods: The Nutritious Eating with Soul D&I study was implemented in community settings (i.e., restaurants). African-American adults with overweight or obesity (body mass index between 25 and 49.9 kg/m2) were randomly assigned to a 12-wk intervention, attending weekly classes with 1 free weekly meal (intervention) or 1 free weekly meal only (control). The study took place from 2022 to 2025 and enrolled participants in 3 different restaurants in 2 cities—Columbia, SC, United States, and Augusta, GA, United States. Results: The study enrolled 236 participants across 6 cohorts (average age: 48.5 ± 9.1 y and 81% females); cohorts ranged in size from 11 to 53. Participants in the intervention group lost more weight than participants in the control group (between-group change: −1.1 ± 0.5 kg; P = 0.01), and both groups exhibited significant within-group weight loss. Participants exhibited significant within-group improvements in diet quality after 12 wk, but there was no between-group difference (4.5 ± 4.0; P = 0.26). Participants in the control group exhibited significant improvements in systolic and diastolic blood pressure. No between-group differences were observed in systolic (2.0 ± 2.0; P = 0.30) or diastolic blood pressure (change 1.6 ± 1.4; P = 0.28). Conclusions: Restaurants are viable partners in conducting implementation research. In this D&I trial implemented in community restaurants, African-American adults lost weight. Future studies should focus on implementation outcomes and continued scale-up of the program.This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT05659966.