Crafting meals for wellness: A collaboration story

At Mom’s Meals^®, meal development is driven by culinary expertise and food science. The research and development team works to ensure that every meal is nutritionally balanced and supportive of overall well-being. From testing starches to perfecting sauces, each day is an experiment in the kitchen.

Collaboration is key

“We lead the development approach of our meals through a culinary and food science balance to deliver well-rounded, ready-to-heat-and-eat meals,” says Chef Jon Benedict, director of research and development culinary.

With nearly two decades of experience at Mom’s Meals, Benedict plays a key role in shaping the culinary strategy and meal concepts. Though he sets the overall direction for meals, he credits his team for turning ideas into reality saying, “I lay out the framework and then Andrew and Morgan really develop the ideas and execute them.”

Andrew Tiemann and Morgan Staub collaborate in the kitchen to test recipes, improve ingredients and understand formulas.

Tiemann, executive research and development chef, has been with Mom’s Meals for eight years. He specializes in developing new recipes and implementing them with production sites. “It's always exciting to make a meal that climbs up the charts and people really enjoy,” says Tiemann.

Staub, a food scientist, joined Mom’s Meals as an intern in 2021 and now leads the food science team. “She set the foundation for the food science approach to our meal development and how we look at creating meals,” shares Benedict. Her day-to-day focus is on testing ingredients and formulas for the best nutritional value.

The research and development team partners closely with our registered dietitians to craft nutritious medically tailored meals — many designed to support the most common chronic conditions. Together, they align culinary innovation with evidence-based dietary guidelines, enabling us to offer nine condition-specific menus ranging from general wellness to diabetes-friendly to pureed options.

Information customers can rely on

Mom’s Meals is focused on ingredient management and clean labeling (easy-to-understand labels, natural ingredients and minimal artificial additives). Our meals do not contain ingredients commonly found in ultra-processed foods. This means no synthetic food dyes, added MSG, high fructose corn syrup, non-nutritive sweeteners such as sucralose, partially hydrogenated oils, added trans fats or synthetic preservatives banned in the EU. “We’re very conscious of what we’re adding to our meals,” shares Benedict, “not just from a nutritional standpoint, but also from an ingredient standpoint.”

The research and development team places strong importance on ingredients being recognizable and nutritional. “We hold ourselves to basic ingredients and natural foods,” adds Tiemann.

To help make sure customers have the information they need to make the right food choices for their conditions or dietary preferences, Mom’s Meals has moved from the USDA nutrition facts panel to the FDA nutrition facts panel. Additionally, all meals are created in USDA- and FDA-inspected facilities — to provide the highest level of compliance with federal regulations governing food production.

Feeding off feedback

Customer feedback plays a large role in the development of the meals we produce. “We’re constantly looking at customer feedback, tasting and evaluating meals,” says Benedict. The team uses customer input to update menus and drive new product development.

Positive client feedback is what keeps them going. From our 2024 client survey, 90% of Mom’s Meals customers rated meals as appealing, an all-time high. “It’s rewarding when you have a meal that gets positive feedback from the clients. It brings it full circle for you,” says Benedict.

While much of the process is science-driven, the team likes to have fun creating meals. Employees often have the opportunity to participate in taste tests of meals, play guess the purees and share what their favorites are.

Better together

Chef Benedict, Tiemann, Staub and the entire research and development team, work together daily to curate nutritious meals for all health needs. Their commitment to health-driven food makes it possible for Mom’s Meals to deliver reliable, high-quality meals that meet the evolving needs of customers.

The research and development team works closely with registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs) to turn the complexities of nutrition into real-world solutions for clients. As the leading food as medicine solutions provider, our RDNs work to breakdown nutrition and ingredient information for our various condition-specific menus. “Our goal is to make nutrition practical, so living with a health condition doesn’t mean stressing over what to eat,” says Amanda Daines, RDN, LD, director of research and development, and nutrition services.

Mom's Meals: Medically tailored meals and more

We provide the most comprehensive food as medicine solutions nationwide. Our nutrition solutions are designed for all ages to bring comfort and inspire confidence in people seeking to live healthier, manage chronic health conditions, recover from illness and continue to live independently. Our integrated solutions include medically tailored meals, produce and pantry boxes, oral nutrition supplements and shelf-stable, kosher, and halal meals, backed by nutrition education and counseling.

Learn more about Mom's Meals.