Meals and Nutrition

CVCOA provides nutrition programs and resources that help older adults maintain their health and well-being.

Home-Delivered, Community and Grab-and-Go Meals

CVCOA provides funding and technical assistance for home-delivered (Meals on Wheels), congregate, and grab-and-go nutrition programs throughout Central Vermont.

Each year, CVCOA's 13 partner meal programs serve over 200,000 meals, ensuring the well-being of nearly 2,000 older adults. A registered dietitian reviews all menus to ensure that meals prepared with CVCOA’s support provide older adults with the nutrition needed for good health.

Meals on Wheels/Home-Delivered Meals

Meals on Wheels keep high-risk older adults, who often have chronic health conditions, safer and healthier in their own homes. Volunteers deliver more than nutritious meals. Their in-person visits and wellness checks create a trusting relationship that helps reduce social isolation and loneliness.

Any person is eligible who is age 60 or over and is unable to obtain or prepare meals on a temporary or permanent basis due to a physical, mental or cognitive condition that requires assistance to leave home.

Also eligible:

•  a spouse, regardless of age, of eligible individuals
• individuals under 60 years of age with a disability, who reside with an eligible individual

Preference will be given to individuals who are low-income, minority, limited English proficiency, and at risk for institutional placement.

Home-delivered meals are available to anyone who lives in Washington, Lamoille, and Orange Counties (except Thetford), as well as the towns of Bethel, Hancock, Granville, Pittsfield, Rochester, Royalton, Sharon, and Stockbridge.  To register for home-delivered meals, please call the CVCOA Helpline at 802-477-1364.

Community and Grab-and-Go Meals 

Community meals at one of our local nutrition sites provide a wonderful opportunity to socialize while enjoying a nutritious meal. 

Grab-and-Go meals are provided at most of the meal sites in Central Vermont. 

We encourage you to contact the meal site directly to make a reservation for a community meal or grab-and-go meal. To find your meal site, visit our Nutrition Program page to locate the program in your town.

A person is eligible for community meals and grab-and-go meals if they are 60 years of age or older.  While there is no charge for the meal for those 60+, each site has a suggested donation. People under 60 are charged a nominal fee.

Nutrition Counseling

Nutrition counseling is offered to adults aged 60 and over. CVCOA has a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) who will work with individuals to address nutrition related health concerns. Together with the RDN individuals will create personalized health centered goals and a plan to achieve them. Being aged 60 or over is the only eligibility requirement.

Call the CVCOA Helpline number at 802-477-1364 to inquire about nutrition counseling services.

Benefits and Resources Counseling

Benefits and resources counseling is available for food assistance programs like 3Squares VT, Commodities Supplemental Food Program, and local food shelves.  Call our Helpline at 802-477-1364 to inquire.

• 3SquaresVT provides a monthly benefit to help stretch your food budget. For more details, visit: 3SquaresVT Resource Hub: Hunger Free VT.
• Commodities Supplemental Food Program provides free monthly food to lower income older adults.
• Food shelves provide additional food when your budget is tight.

Nutrition Education Events

CVCOA delivers cooking demonstrations in community settings to teach participants how to prepare quick and healthy meals on a budget.  

See our calendar for upcoming events.

Tasty Bites

Check out CVCOA’s cooking demo series, Tasty Bites, filmed right in downtown Barre at the Central Vermont Television station! These short videos walk you through the creation of a healthy recipe, from start to finish, in just a couple of minutes. Each recipe features simple items you are familiar with or already have on hand.