While doing academic research and nutrition program development, Dr. Humphries discovered many unmet nutrition needs and a lack of nutrition supports for people with disabilities and their care teams. Responding to that community need, in 2002, she began developing nutrition supports for people with disabilities in a range of independent living settings.
This work produced, among other products, the MENU-AIDDs© program. Developed and proven effective with support from the Centers for Disease Control and the National Institutes of Health, MENU-AIDDs© is a menu building system that provides practical, effective guidance for group home staff to make menus appropriate for their unique setting and the residents residing within it, including addressing special dietary needs and food preferences.
Dr. Rigles joined Dr. Humphries in 2011 to research the efficacy of the MENU-AIDDs© program. Using the MENU-AIDDs© program as a foundation, Drs. Humphries and Rigles have continued to develop nutrition support programs that help individuals take control of their personal food lives. Our research found that in addition to improvements in weight, gastrointestinal health, and dietary intake, individuals and care providers found MENU-AIDDs to be easy to use, flexible to fit their needs, and culturally responsive.
In 2022, they formed Good Nutrition Ideas LLC to redesign their science-based, best practice meal planning programs to meet the needs of all people, and to put them online so they are more accessible, inclusive, and widely available to everyone – whether you’re living with family, on your own, or in a communal setting. Check out our My Meals My Way app available now for iOS devices!