Nutrition
Good nutrition is the foundation for good health. But when people lack consistent access to nutritious food or maintain an unhealthy diet, it can create a domino effect of negative consequences that can extend to many facets of a person’s life, including clinical outcomes, financial stability and even social well-being.
To improve overall health and reduce the total cost of care, we need to recognize the crucial role food as medicine 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. This approach shifts the focus from solely medical interventions to the foundational role of nutrition in maintaining long-term health.
People who maintain a healthy lifestyle and eat nutritious food tend to have fewer doctor visits and hospital stays which lowers their overall health care 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.
Nutrition barriers
A major barrier to better nutrition for millions of Americans is lack of access to healthy food. A 2023 U.S. Department of Agriculture study estimates that over 47 million Americans, including 7 million children, live in food-insecure households and lack 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 desserts are areas where the nearest supermarket is more than 1 mile away (urban) or 10 miles away (rural) for at least one third of the residents. Residents of food deserts are often limited to shopping at convenience stores, which tend to have higher prices and lower quality foods. Food swamps are areas where healthy food sources are readily available, but are vastly outnumbered by lower-cost, lower-quality alternatives, such as fast food or junk food outlets.
A person’s age also plays a part in food insecurity. According to a Feeding America study, older adults are the fastest growing food-insecure population in the country and they face specific challenges getting the nutrition they need. Seniors 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 is an issue too, because many seniors can’t easily shop for or prepare the nutritious foods they need. Older adults living with a disability have almost triple the rate of food insecurity than those without a disability.
Programs to help vulnerable and underserved populations
Programs that prioritize nutrition and address food insecurity can have a profound impact on health outcomes, helping to reduce the financial strain on the health care 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
- Health care 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 health plans and community organizations are providing condition-appropriate home-delivered meals to provide nutritional support for recently discharged or chronically ill patients
Mom’s Meals® food as medicine solutions make a difference with proven results
Mom’s Meals provides the most comprehensive food as medicine solutions nationwide. Together with health care and community partners, we empower people to live healthier lives through delicious, nutritious food, education, caring support and expertise.
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. Our integrated solutions include medically tailored meals, produce and pantry boxes, oral nutrition supplements and shelf-stable, kosher, and halal meals, backed by nutrition education and counseling.
Mom’s Meals is setting the standard in the food as medicine space with 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. Discover more about using the power of food as medicine.
Discover more about using the power of food as medicine.
