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

Some doctors use food to help treat patients. In some programs, doctors give prescriptions for fruits and vegetables. Geisinger started the Fresh Food Farmacy in 2016 to give healthy food and diabetes education to patients.

Medical schools are also adding cooking and nutrition lessons for students. UT Southwestern began a culinary medicine program and used the Health Meets Food curriculum in 2015. A nonprofit, the Gaples Institute, has made a nutrition course that is required by several medical schools. Studies of produce prescriptions show mixed results, so doctors and schools keep testing these ideas. Many programs also teach cooking skills and give recipes to patients.