Understanding Food Is Medicine
What Is Food Is Medicine?
The scientific connection between food and health has been well-known for decades. The foods and beverages that people consume ― or do not consume ― directly impact overall health. Today, more than half of adults in the United States have one or more diet-related diseases. Improving diet can help to prevent and manage many dietary-related health states and conditions.
Food Is Medicine (FIM) encompasses a broad range of approaches that promote optimal health and healing and reduce disease burden by providing nutritious food — in conjunction with human services, education, and policy change — through collaboration at the nexus of health care and community.
Food Is Medicine models are food-based services that can be integrated into health care. These approaches should be contextualized to the community and people served. Commonly used models include medically tailored meals, medically tailored groceries, produce prescriptions, and other nutrition incentives.
These models should be structured to allow individuals to move between them based on changing diet-related health needs.
See more about Our Principles for Food Is Medicine to providing nutritious food through education, policy changes, and collaboration at the nexus of health care and community.
What Are the Major Examples of FIM Interventions?
Food Is Medicine models include a range of programs and interventions centered around the provision of food at the intersection of health care and community. Food Is Medicine models operate in relation to a broader context of systems that enable interventions. Program models that are currently employed include:
- Medically tailored meals and groceries: Fully prepared meals or tailored groceries designed or selected by a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) to meet an individual’s medical needs.
- Medically supported meals and groceries: Lightly processed or unprepared foods aligned with medical needs for individuals to prepare at home.
- Produce prescription programs: A bundle of fruits and vegetables provided to an individual as part of a medical treatment or preventive service due to diet-related chronic conditions, food insecurity, or other challenge in access to nutritious foods.
- Nutrition incentives: A financial or nonfinancial encouragement to purchase healthier foods
Models are often paired with services provided by RDNs, such as nutrition education, supermarket tours, cooking classes, and medical nutrition therapy.
What Partners Are Needed to Establish and Scale Food Is Medicine?
Diverse organizations and sectors have reinforcing and collaborative assets that collectively advance and expand Food Is Medicine solutions. Successful Food Is Medicine interventions rely on a variety of partners from across different types of organizations and sectors.
The community and individuals served by interventions should be at the center of any Food Is Medicine partnership. This ensures person-centered design and consideration for culturally and regionally appropriate approaches.
Other partners include individuals and organizations providing clinical care, navigation and referral, food provision, and educational support.
Beyond those implementing a Food Is Medicine intervention directly, additional partners in the broader ecosystem have relationships to supporting access to and use of healthy foods to address diet-related diseases. These include public health partners, retailers, growers and food producers, and those who support infrastructure and technology development.
An integrated system of partners will enable a robust Food Is Medicine infrastructure of providers that includes multiple pathways from which to connect individuals and Food Is Medicine interventions. An integrated system can be used to meet increased demand for healthy food support.
Funding
How Can Federal Funds Support Food Is Medicine Interventions?
While there are limited funding opportunities that cover procurement of food as a component of an intervention, there are many other ways that federal funds can be used to support Food Is Medicine. Depending on the mechanism, federal funds can support organizations in delivering and accessing technical assistance and training, measurement and evaluation, transportation of people to FIM interventions or delivery of food to Food Is Medicine participants, and capital purchases such as equipment.
There are also funding opportunities relevant to adjacent systems such as those that support food growers and producers and those that address food insecurity — all of which indirectly strengthen the Food Is Medicine ecosystem.
What Federal Transportation Resources Can Support Greater Access to FIM Programs?
Transportation plays a significant role in making food accessible to individuals and families across the United States. Without proximate and affordable transportation options, it can be difficult for individuals to access retailers, farmers’ markets, or other food providers. For a Food Is Medicine intervention to be effective, all recipients must be able to access the food provided.
The U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Transit Administration (FTA) has a variety of programs and resources that can support technical assistance, funding, and partnership development among health, transportation, and other service providers that can support Food Is Medicine interventions:
Coordinating Council on Access and Mobility (CCAM) Program Inventory
Identifies federal programs that may provide funding for human services transportation for people with disabilities, older adults, and/or individuals of low income.
National Center for Mobility Management's Community Transportation Database
FTA's National Center for Mobility Management manages this database that combines existing datasets with new research to create an exhaustive list of organizations that provide transportation services to communities across the country.
Innovative Coordinated Access and Mobility (ICAM) Pilot Program
This program provides competitive funding to support innovative projects for the transportation disadvantaged that will improve the coordination of transportation services and nonemergency medical transportation services.
National Aging and Disability Transportation Center (NADTC)
National technical assistance (TA) center funded by FTA with guidance from Administration for Community Living (ACL) to promote the availability and accessibility of transportation options that serve the needs of people with disabilities, older adults, and caregivers.
National Rural Transit Assistance Program (National RTAP)
National technical assistance center funded by FTA to support rural public transit by creating rural and tribal transit solutions through technical assistance, community grants, collaboration, and free training and transit industry materials.
Section 5310 Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities
This program (49 U.S.C. 5310) provides formula funding to states and designated recipients to meet the transportation needs of older adults and people with disabilities when the transportation service provided is unavailable, insufficient, or inappropriate to meeting these needs.
Section 5311 Formula Grants for Rural Areas
This program provides capital, planning, and operating assistance to states to support public transportation in rural areas with populations of less than 50,000, where many residents often rely on public transit to reach their destinations.
Transportation Technical Assistance Coordination Library (TACL)
TACL provides a sustainable methodology and platform for access of rural and tribal transit coordination resources across a diverse range of transportation technical assistance centers and the FTA.
What Federal Resources Can Support Understanding and Honoring Cultural Relevance in Community-driven FIM Interventions?
Cultural norms, traditions, socioeconomic factors, and conditions in the environment where people are born, live, work, play, worship, and grow can significantly influence dietary habits and food choices. Recognizing these factors is crucial in developing Food Is Medicine interventions aimed at addressing barriers to healthy eating and improving health outcomes.
Community-driven approaches that consider unique qualities of place-based experiences can lead to more effective, sustainable, locally appropriate, and community-owned programs and partnerships. There is also growing recognition that empowering communities through creative capacity and cultural expression contributes to the health and well-being of individuals and communities, invigorates physical spaces, and fosters equitable outcomes.
The National Endowment of the Arts (NEA) has a long history of funding, promoting, and strengthening the creative capacity of individual communities through a range of diverse opportunities. Given the strong connection between food and culture, there are resources through the National Endowment of the Arts that could be applied to strengthen Food Is Medicine approaches that integrate cultural relevance and creative capacity.
These resources are present in many communities today. It is an important opportunity to identify partners within the arts and cultural sectors to identify if resources are present and how partnerships could be built to collaboratively meet shared goals.
Our Town
Our Town is NEA’s creative placemaking grants program. Through project-based funding, the program supports activities that integrate arts, culture, and design into local efforts that strengthen communities over the long term. Our Town projects engage a wide range of local stakeholders in efforts to advance local economic, physical, and/or social outcomes in communities.
Grants for Art Projects (GAP)
GAP provides expansive funding opportunities to strengthen the nation’s arts and cultural ecosystem. Through project-based funding, the program supports opportunities for public engagement with the arts and arts education, for the integration of the arts with strategies promoting the health and well-being of people and communities, and for the improvement of overall capacity and capabilities within the arts sector.
Citizens’ Institute on Rural Design (CIRD)
CIRD is a leadership initiative of the NEA in partnership with the Housing Assistance Council. Focusing on communities with populations of 50,000 or less, CIRD’s goal is to enhance the quality of life and economic viability of rural America through planning, design, and creative placemaking.
Research Grants in the Arts
Research Grants in the Arts funds research studies that investigate the value and impact of the arts, either as individual components of the U.S. arts ecosystem or as they interact with each other or with other domains of American life. Matching/cost share grants of $20,000 to $100,000 will be awarded.
Data and Evaluation
How Can Existing Data and Tools Support FIM Intervention Measurement and Evaluation?
To support implementers in evaluating Food Is Medicine, HHS — with input from a range of federal and nonfederal partners — established an analytic framework with shared principles, measurement domains, and indicators.
Additional federal guidance and data resources can be found below:
- Nutrition and Obesity Policy Research and Evaluation Network
- GusNIP Evaluation Framework
- PLACES: Local Data for Better Health | CDC
- The United States Core Data for Interoperability (USCDI)
Where Can I Learn About Food Security Measurement and Tracking?
National Tracking
Healthy People 2030 sets data-driven national objectives to improve health and well-being over the next decade. The following objectives relate to food insecurity. Data snapshots show progress towards the established targets for each objective.
Food Security Measurement
The USDA Economic Research Service provides an overview of how household food security and food insecurity are measured. To learn more, visit Food Security in the U.S.: Measurement.
For detailed technical information on measurement methods, questionnaires, and calculating food security scales, visit Food Security in the U.S.: Survey Tools.
For interactive charts on various aspects of food security, visit Food Security in the U.S.: Interactive Charts and Highlights to learn more.
Food Assistance and Food Access Measurement and Tools
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides access to several resources for food in everyday situations as well as before, during, and after emergencies and disasters.
These resources are for individuals, households, governments, tribes, institutions, communities, and community-based and feeding organizations.
For a summary and access to resources, visit Food Assistance and Food System Resources on the CDC website.
Screening Best Practices
What Resources Can Help Me Learn About Community and Individual Screening for Food and Nutritional Needs?
- Food Security Assessment Toolkit provides a toolkit of standardized measurement tools for assessing various aspects of community food security.
- Survey Tools offer screening tools for food insecurity, such as the U.S. Household Food Security Survey Module. Many non-English translations are available.
- The Hunger Vital Sign is a two-question food insecurity screening tool. It is available in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Korean, Nepali, Russian, Somalian, Spanish, Swahili, and Vietnamese.
- Food Insecurity Screening for Adults helps identify and address food insecurity among adults in the clinical setting. A positive food insecurity screen can be coded in the electronic medical record, and identified patients can be connected with eligible food sources.
- The Administration for Community Living Nutrition and Aging Resource Center offers Training and Tools and Data and Reports for older adults.
- The Accountable Health Communities Health-Related Social Needs Screening Tool is a two-question screening tool for food insecurity available from the CDC.
What Resources Are Used to Measure and Assess Access to Healthy Foods?
National Tracking
Healthy People 2030 sets data-driven national objectives to improve health and well-being over the next decade. The following objectives relate to access to foods that support healthy dietary patterns. Data snapshots show progress toward the established targets for each objective.
- Reduce household food insecurity and hunger
- Eliminate very low food security in children
- Increase fruit consumption by people aged 2 years and over
- Increase vegetable consumption by people aged 2 years and older
Food Access Research Atlas
USDA Economic Research created a tool that presents an overview of food access indicators for low-income and other census tracts using different measures of supermarket accessibility; provides food access data for populations within census tracts; and offers census-tract-level data on food access that can be downloaded for community planning or research purposes. To learn more, see Food Access Research Atlas.
Local Food Resource Directory
The USDA resource allows users to search for a farmers' market, community supported agriculture, or other local food businesses by ZIP code, product, payment method, and other criteria. To learn more, see Local Food Directories.
Where Can I Find Nutrition and Chronic Disease Statistics Relevant to Food Is Medicine?
HealthyPeople 2030
- HealthyPeople 2030 sets data-drive national objectives to improve health and well-being over the next decade. To learn more about national nutrition and healthy eating objectives and how well the U.S. population is doing at meeting each objective, visit Nutrition and Healthy Eating.
- Detailed data for each objective can provide insights in how outcomes differ by demographic group and over time.
Nutrition and Dietary Consumption Data
- To view an interactive database that provides national and state data about the health status and behavior of individuals living in the United States, including data related to fruit and vegetable behaviors as well as policy and environmental supports, visit DNPAO Data, Trends, and Maps Database.
- To view and download figures published in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025 that show adherence of the U.S. population to the Dietary Guidelines over time, as measured by the average total Healthy Eating Index, visit Figures and Infographics on current dietary guidelines.
- To view and download figures published in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025 that show dietary intakes compared to recommendations by life stage, visit Figures & Infographics.
- To view state-specific profiles that highlight opportunities to strengthen food and nutrition security programs, policies or practices, and infrastructure, see Food and Nutrition Security State and National Profiles.
- For rural communities, the Rural Health Information Hub provides access to publications and maps, including: Hunger and Access to Healthy Food and Obesity and Weight Control.
Diet-related Chronic Disease
Education
What Federal Resources Are Available to Support Providers in Delivering Nutrition Education to Patients and FIM Participants?
Healthy Eating Toolkit for Health Professionals
Nutrition is one of the best tools we have to help reduce the risk of chronic disease. Health professionals play a key role in encouraging healthy food and beverage choices. These materials can be used by health professionals to initiate a conversation and to share key messages with patients or program participants on the evidence-based nutrition guidance found in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020–2025.
- Talk to Your Patients about Healthy Eating
- Build Healthy Eating Routines Across the Lifespan
- Cut Down on Added Sugars, Sodium, and Saturated Fat
- Make Healthy Drink Choices
These materials and more are found on DietaryGuidelines.gov website in English and Spanish.
Food Sources of Select Nutrients
Providers can use these lists of nutrient-dense foods to educate patients and FIM participants on foods to eat to increase nutrient intake. The focus is on dietary components of public health concern, such as calcium, potassium, dietary fiber, Vitamin D and iron.
MyPlate Toolkits
MyPlate shows consumers how to eat healthfully at every stage of life. Use these toolkits to communicate MyPlate’s food and nutrition messages.
External Resources
If I Want to Learn About Aspects of FIM policy and Research Synthesis, What Key External Organizations With Information Are Available?
- AHA Health Care by Food
- Aspen Food and Society
- CHLPI
- KFF Medicaid Waiver Tracker
- FIMC
- Milken Food Is Medicine
- NPPC
- Rockefeller Foundation FIM Initiative
- Tufts FIM Institute
What Are Some Examples of Nonfederal White Papers and Reports That Help Frame Our Understanding of FIM?
- Planting Seeds for Food Is Medicine: Pre-Implementation Planning Methods and Formative Evaluation Findings From a Multi-Clinic Initiative in the Midwest
- Food Is Medicine: The Road To Universal Coverage
- Food Is Medicine: A Presidential Advisory From the American Heart Association
- Food Is Medicine Initiative for Mitigating Food Insecurity in the United States
- Food and Society at Aspen Institute FIM Research Action Plan
- BPC: Healthy Eating Rx: Improving Nutrition through Health Care
- Food as Medicine: How Food and Diet Impact the Treatment of Disease and Disease Management
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