Nutrition
Good nutrition is the foundation for good health. But when people lack consistent access to nutritious food or maintain an unhealthy diet, the effects of poor nutrition create negative consequences that can extend to many facets of a person’s life, including clinical outcomes, financial stability and even social well-being.
The role of food as medicine in improving health outcomes
To improve overall health and reduce the total cost of care, we need to recognize the crucial role nutrition interventions can play in treatment and prevention. It is a proven and powerful tool to help manage and prevent nutrition-sensitive chronic conditions, help address health disparities and support better outcomes for individuals and communities. Food as medicine continues to gain momentum as a practical, evidence-based strategy for supporting whole-person care.
The relationship between nutritious food, healthcare costs and quality of life
People who maintain a healthy lifestyle and eat nutritious food tend to have fewer doctor visits and hospital stays which lowers their overall healthcare costs. Plus, healthier people can engage in life more fully.
The converse is also true. Poor nutrition is often a precursor to health problems including chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension and heart disease. People with chronic conditions require more health care, which drives up their medical costs in the form of higher deductibles, co-pays and prescription costs.
Complicating matters, unhealthy people tend to miss out on the things that matter to them, such as family events and other activities which can affect their enjoyment of life.
Barriers to accessing nutritious food
A major barrier to better nutrition for millions of Americans is lack of access to healthy food. In 2024, the U.S. Department of Agriculture study estimated nearly 48 million Americans, including 7 million children, live in food-insecure households and lacked steady access to affordable, nutritious food. Food and nutrition insecurity can be a result of several issues including income, employment, disability and housing.
One’s zip code is also a factor for food deserts and food swamps. Food deserts are areas with limited access to affordable and nutritious foods. Food swamps are areas where healthy food sources are readily available, but are vastly outnumbered by lower-cost, lower-quality alternatives, such as high-calorie fast food or junk food options.
A person’s age also plays a part in food and nutrition insecurity. Older adults living on fixed or limited incomes often skip meals or eat lower quality, less expensive foods to balance the costs of medical care and housing. Mobility and disability are an issue too, as many seniors can’t easily shop for or prepare the nutritious foods they need.
Programs to help vulnerable and underserved populations
Programs that prioritize nutrition and address food and nutrition insecurity can have a profound impact on health outcomes, helping to reduce the financial strain on the healthcare system and lowering the costs associated with managing chronic diseases.
- The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) supports low-income families by offering financial assistance for groceries, helping them secure the nutritious food necessary to maintain a healthier lifestyle and improve their overall well-being.
- The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) provides food assistance to women who are pregnant, breastfeeding or postpartum, as well as infants and children up to age 5.
- The Commodity Supplemental Food Program (CSFP) provides nutritious USDA Foods to individuals aged 60 and older, helping to supplement their diets and ensure they have access to healthy food.
- Many health plans covered by Medicaid offer their members a home-delivered meals benefit under a variety of circumstances.
- Medicare Advantage plans may offer supplemental benefits like meal delivery service following a hospital stay or for people living with one or more chronic conditions.
- Healthcare organizations are launching food pharmacies where clinicians write “prescriptions” for low-cost or free nutritious food for patients.
- Mobile growers’ markets are springing up in low-income neighborhoods around the nation improving access to fresh, locally sourced produce for residents of food deserts and food swamps.
- Some state and community organizations are providing condition-appropriate, home-delivered and site-delivered meals to provide nutritional support for recently discharged or chronically ill patients.
Mom’s Meals® food as medicine solutions help people live healthier lives
Mom’s Meals provides the most comprehensive food as medicine solutions nationwide. Together with healthcare and community partners, we empower people to live healthier lives through delicious, nutritious food, nutrition counseling and education, and caring support and expertise.
Solutions that go beyond the plate
We know that getting the right nutrition is essential to achieving and maintaining good health. But it isn't always easy to access foods that align with specific needs and reflect individual tastes or know how to make them part of a healthier lifestyle. We believe food is more than nourishment, which is why Mom's Meals is dedicated to creating food as medicine solutions that go beyond the plate.
Our nutrition solutions are designed for all ages to bring comfort and inspire confidence in people seeking to live healthier, manage chronic conditions, recover from illness or continue to live independently. Mom's Meals integrated solutions include medically tailored meals, produce and pantry boxes, oral nutrition supplements and shelf-stable, kosher, and halal meals, backed by nutrition counseling and education.
Setting the standard in the food as medicine space
Mom’s Meals has real-world results that show fewer hospitalizations, better A1C control, stronger medication adherence, and meaningful reductions in the total cost of care. From caregivers and case managers to health plans and state and federal agencies, we’re the provider trusted to deliver scalable, evidence-based interventions for Medicaid, Medicare, and self-pay populations.
