Mindful Meals Story

         Imagine, it is Friday night and you have just returned home from an exhausting work week that does not pay you enough to make ends meet. Waiting for you at home are your school-age children, also exhausted from their long week in school and everyone is hungry, yet there is not enough food to get through the weekend. 

         School meals are free in Minnesota but only during the school week. Even worse, food shelves are closed on weekends. Parents come to a point where they're concerned about their children having access to healthy, nutritious meals. This scenario is a reality for countless families.  

37.1% percentage of families are on school lunch programs across Lyon and surrounding counties. The local data shows that these families are more likely to experience academic gaps.  

         Most of the food available to our community through food shelf programs is highly processed when viewed against nutritional standards. Mindful Meals, in contrast, is prepared using the USDA’s MyPlate guidelines and recommendations. 

         The SMSU Enactus team began to develop an end-to-end meal preparation and delivery system that provides nutritious meals over the weekend.

Mindful Meals is DARING to take on one of the largest insufficiencies around the world, starting in local, rural areas. The project’s reach is growing with every operation, increasing its impact.