When Food Becomes Medicine: Prescriptions, Kitchens, and Medical Training

Across the United States, hospitals and clinics are offering produce prescriptions, medically tailored meals, and teaching kitchens for patients. Geisinger launched the Fresh Food Farmacy in 2016 as a pilot for patients with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes and later expanded to other counties. UT Southwestern licensed the Health Meets Food curriculum in 2015 and now runs culinary medicine classes for students and shared medical appointments for patients. The Gaples Institute has developed a nutrition course that is required in ten medical schools and has trained thousands of clinicians.

Researchers have studied these interventions; reviews on PubMed and other analyses report mixed outcomes. One recent study noted limited impact on cardiometabolic health for patients with diabetes, suggesting that access, behavior, and other social factors influence results. Nevertheless, many educators and health systems are expanding hands-on training because clinicians often lack practical nutrition skills. HHS has announced funding to support nutrition education and research, and teams continue to test models that link clinical care, community food access, and education. Health Meets Food curriculum now appears in over sixty medical centers and training programs.