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Cultural Meals Program

Hmong Client, Cultural Meals Program

BACKGROUND

To better serve our diverse community of clients, Open Arms started a Cultural Meals Program in 2022 to develop accessible and culturally appropriate medically tailored meals to serve Hmong, Latin American, and East African clients who are disproportionately impacted by severe illnesses.

TIMELINE

East African Meals

HMONG MENU

EAST AFRICAN MENU

LATIN AMERICAN MENU

Soft Launch: June 2023
Full Menu: November 2023

Soft Launch: September 2024
Full Menu: November 2024

Soft Launch: June 2025
Full Menu: September 2025

PROCESS

Open Arms started a Cultural Meals Program in 2022 to develop accessible and culturally appropriate medically tailored meals to serve Hmong, Latin American, and East African clients who are disproportionately impacted by severe illnesses.

  • Stage 1: Data Collection

    We conduct research around the specific cuisine, including talking with our menu consultants, visiting local restaurants that specialize in that cuisine, and speaking with community members.

  • Stage 2: Recipe & Menu Development

    Open Arms’s research and development team, in collaboration with the consulting chef for that menu, test recipes to assess appearance, taste, texture, packaging, format (fresh or frozen), reheating, procurement, and medically-tailored nutrition specifications.

  • Stage 3: Community Outreach & Feedback

    In addition to getting feedback from current Open Arms of Minnesota clients through delivering sample meals, multiple community tasting events are hosted for each menu to collect feedback from the community that is used to further develop the menu.

MENU OVERVIEWS

HMONG MENU

This menu includes only Hmong cuisine specific meals, is salt and carbohydrate controlled and supports a range of health needs. This menu is dairy free and features a variety of proteins such as Pork, Chicken, Fish, Beef, and Tofu.

Meal Examples

  • Spicy Beef with Cabbage and Tomatoes, White Rice and Steamed Green Beans​
  • Pork with Sour Bamboo, White Rice, Sauteed Mustard Greens​
  • Pork Larb with Sweet Rice Noodles
Maiah Thao, Hmong Culinary Consultant​

Maiah Thao

Hmong Culinary Consultant​

Maiah has worked in the social services field for more than 30 years. Her passion for cooking started in her family’s kitchen when she was 10 years old where she developed a passion for cooking home cooked meals through family gatherings and community events. She previously owned a grocery store that included Hmong deli food. This experience gave Maiah insight about catering to all ethnicities. With a love for creating extraordinary flavorful and traditional Hmong food, it’s all about simplicity and approachable delicious food that she is proud to serve, “I truly believe food brings everyone together.”

EAST AFRICAN MENU

This menu includes dishes and flavors from a variety of cuisines throughout Eastern Africa. This menu includes various protein sources such as beef, chicken, fish, beans, and lentils. With controlled amounts of sodium, saturated fat and carbohydrates, this menu is heart healthy, diabetic friendly and supports a range of health needs.  

Meal Examples

  • Coconut Roasted Chicken with Mukimo and Sauteed Collard Greens
  • Somali Style Lasagna with Berbere Spiced Sweet Potatoes

  • Doro Wat with Stewed Potato and Cabbage, Fresh Tomato Salad

Jamal Hashi

Jamal Hashi

East African Culinary Consultant​

Chef Jamal Hashi leads diverse teams and drives creative menus, recipes, products, and merchandising services from conception to fruition, with a keen eye for strategy, research, and design. He has spent 22 years in the restaurant industry and has created concepts for 13 different restaurants. His work has been recognized by the international community. Chef Jamal has most recently participated as a guest chef at several New York City restaurants to introduce and fuse contemporary East African flavors into mainstream menus.

LATIN AMERICAN MENU

Menu description coming soon…

Soleil Ramirez, Latinx Culinary Consultant​

Soleil Ramirez

Latin American Culinary Consultant​

Soleil Ramirez is the chef and owner of Arepa Bar in Minneapolis, the only 100% traditional Venezeulan restaurant in the Twin Cities. She has been around the kitchen for over 15 years. Her experience and knowledge about food and fine dining in different countries around the world became the framework for opening her own restaurant.

Please contact Open Arms client services team at 612-767-7333 or [email protected].

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Rekindle The Joy Of Giving With The Open Arms Gift Catalog!

Just in time for the holiday season, Open Arms of Minnesota is thrilled to offer a new way to support our clients this holiday season! Inspired by the classic “Wish Books” of years past, we are proud to introduce the first-ever Open Arms Gift Catalog. We hope this new approach to supporting our clients rekindles the joy of giving, inspiring you to make a difference in the lives of those we serve through our meals.

Support Our Clients HERE
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Open Arms of Minnesota Earns Accreditation from Food Is Medicine Coalition

Open Arms of Minnesota, the Twin Cities-based non-profit dedicated to providing nourishing, medically tailored meals to individuals with critical illnesses, has earned accreditation from the Food Is Medicine Coalition (FIMC). This recognition places Open Arms among an elite group of organizations nationwide that have demonstrated a high standard of care in delivering medically tailored meals (MTM).

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Your Gift Will Help Us Serve More Clients!

Together we can continue to meet the increased demand for medically tailored meals with your support! We hope you think of us as you consider your year-end giving. Your donation is a gift of care, compassion, and encouragement!

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