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March 2026 CEU ZOOM Meeting (Non-Member Registration)
If you are not a member of AND-STL, purchase a downloadable link to register for our December meeting! If you are an AND-STL member, check your inbox, as you have received this link to register at no cost.
Topic: Sustaining Health Through Nourishment: Food Outreach’s Medically Tailored Meal Programs & Research Insights
Presented By: Taylor Aarns MS, RD, LD
Registered Dietitian at Food OutreachDate: Tuesday, March 24th
Time: 6:30 pm
Place: Virtual, Zoom link will be provided upon registration
Description:
Join AND‐STL for an engaging webinar spotlighting Food Outreach, the only St. Louis–area nonprofit offering free medically tailored meals (MTMs), nutrition education, and dietetic counseling to individuals living with HIV and cancer. Hear firsthand about their comprehensive programs ranging from frozen, scratch-prepared MTMs and grocery distributions to individualized nutrition therapy and learn how local research, including a pilot with Washington University’s Brown School, informs and improves nutritional care models for chronic illness. We’ll explore how Food Outreach has served nearly 2,000 clients across 164 zip codes, distributing over 600,000 meals annually, and how medically tailored nutrition can serve as a powerful tool in patient-centered health care. Discover how their programs address food and nutrition insecurity, support treatment outcomes, and pave the way for sustainable interventions during and beyond active treatment.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:
1. Explain the scope and structure of Food Outreach’s services including eligibility criteria, meal delivery logistics, and client support—from grocery assistance to medically tailored meals.
2. Describe the essential role of registered dietitians in delivering individualized nutrition counseling and education to patients managing HIV, cancer, and other chronic conditions.
3. Summarize recent research findings from the pilot nutrition–transition model (co‐led with the Brown School) and the Mercy diabetes partnership, highlighting how study results inform program adaptations and post-treatment food security strategies.
4. Assess the clinical and psychosocial impacts of medically tailored meals on diet quality, food security, patient quality of life, and healthcare utilization.
5. Explore opportunities for collaboration among healthcare providers, community organizations, and researchers to integrate medically tailored meals into chronic disease management protocols.
Speaker Bio: Taylor Aarns, MS, RD is a licensed registered dietitian specializing in oncology nutrition across active treatment and survivorship. She currently works at Food Outreach in St. Louis, where she provides individualized medical nutrition therapy within a medically tailored meal program for individuals managing cancer, HIV, and other comorbidities.
Taylor also owns a private practice, Nourish After Cancer, where she offers integrative, client- centered nutrition counseling focused on breast cancer survivorship through a virtual, whole-person approach. Her work blends evidence-based medical nutrition therapy with a deep commitment to health equity, food access, and honoring lived experience. She is passionate about helping individuals affected by cancer reconnect with nourishment, joy, and trust in their bodies. Taylor is currently pursuing the Certified Specialist in Oncology Nutrition (CSO) credential and serves as a delegate for the Illinois Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
If you are not a member of AND-STL, purchase a downloadable link to register for our December meeting! If you are an AND-STL member, check your inbox, as you have received this link to register at no cost.
Topic: Sustaining Health Through Nourishment: Food Outreach’s Medically Tailored Meal Programs & Research Insights
Presented By: Taylor Aarns MS, RD, LD
Registered Dietitian at Food OutreachDate: Tuesday, March 24th
Time: 6:30 pm
Place: Virtual, Zoom link will be provided upon registration
Description:
Join AND‐STL for an engaging webinar spotlighting Food Outreach, the only St. Louis–area nonprofit offering free medically tailored meals (MTMs), nutrition education, and dietetic counseling to individuals living with HIV and cancer. Hear firsthand about their comprehensive programs ranging from frozen, scratch-prepared MTMs and grocery distributions to individualized nutrition therapy and learn how local research, including a pilot with Washington University’s Brown School, informs and improves nutritional care models for chronic illness. We’ll explore how Food Outreach has served nearly 2,000 clients across 164 zip codes, distributing over 600,000 meals annually, and how medically tailored nutrition can serve as a powerful tool in patient-centered health care. Discover how their programs address food and nutrition insecurity, support treatment outcomes, and pave the way for sustainable interventions during and beyond active treatment.
Learning Objectives:
By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:
1. Explain the scope and structure of Food Outreach’s services including eligibility criteria, meal delivery logistics, and client support—from grocery assistance to medically tailored meals.
2. Describe the essential role of registered dietitians in delivering individualized nutrition counseling and education to patients managing HIV, cancer, and other chronic conditions.
3. Summarize recent research findings from the pilot nutrition–transition model (co‐led with the Brown School) and the Mercy diabetes partnership, highlighting how study results inform program adaptations and post-treatment food security strategies.
4. Assess the clinical and psychosocial impacts of medically tailored meals on diet quality, food security, patient quality of life, and healthcare utilization.
5. Explore opportunities for collaboration among healthcare providers, community organizations, and researchers to integrate medically tailored meals into chronic disease management protocols.
Speaker Bio: Taylor Aarns, MS, RD is a licensed registered dietitian specializing in oncology nutrition across active treatment and survivorship. She currently works at Food Outreach in St. Louis, where she provides individualized medical nutrition therapy within a medically tailored meal program for individuals managing cancer, HIV, and other comorbidities.
Taylor also owns a private practice, Nourish After Cancer, where she offers integrative, client- centered nutrition counseling focused on breast cancer survivorship through a virtual, whole-person approach. Her work blends evidence-based medical nutrition therapy with a deep commitment to health equity, food access, and honoring lived experience. She is passionate about helping individuals affected by cancer reconnect with nourishment, joy, and trust in their bodies. Taylor is currently pursuing the Certified Specialist in Oncology Nutrition (CSO) credential and serves as a delegate for the Illinois Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.