By Jennifer Anderson

Farmacy programs prescribe healthy food to patients to manage chronic disease” Photo by Wendy Wei

The phrase “food as medicine” is not new, but over the years, it has evolved into a movement that links nutrition, health, and sustainability. It recognizes that food is not only fuel but also a key factor in preventing and managing disease. As our world faces rising rates of chronic illness, integrating food as medicine into healthcare systems offers an interesting and promising path forward to improving overall health.

The idea of using whole, nutrient-dense foods for illness prevention and treatment is the core tenet of food as medicine. It highlights the power of everyday dietary choices in medical care and overall wellness. We have all heard that eating healthy will keep us healthy, but with an intentional commitment, could this really be effective? At Alice Peck Day Memorial Hospital, a system member of Dartmouth Health, Shawn Richardson, Director of Nutrition, has been supporting this theory over the past several years. When he first started at APD, he knew it was a hospital known for its good food, but he said it mainly served comfort food. He wanted to support people in healing and knew there could be a better approach through food. He implemented the Mediterranean diet for all patients who had overnight stays, and after several years, he has continued with this model. Richardson knew that, from clinical studies, the Mediterranean diet has been proven to support overall health and wanted to reflect this in his commitment to the well-being of all patients. In addition, Richardson supports many local farms and producers by purchasing locally when possible, making this a very sustainable practice.

Healthcare systems and insurance companies are already supporting this initiative, but unfortunately, the conversation around it has not translated into enough action. The idea of a healthcare system that focuses on nutrition, provides more education on food and nutrients, and creates pathways for communities to connect and implement these ideas would be amazing. One idea, taking concepts to action, is the program “Farmacy,” which refers to programs in which healthcare providers “prescribe” healthy foods to patients to manage chronic diseases. In conjunction with this, there are medically tailored meals (MTM), fully prepared meals designed by dietitians to help address chronic diseases. These meals can sometimes be covered by health insurance, because they are part of a treatment plan, but not on a large scale. Covering meals under health insurance is especially important, given that many families cannot afford to eat nutritious meals. 1 in 7 (13.5 percent) of U.S. households were food insecure at some time during 2023, meaning they could not afford enough food for an active, healthy life. There is a tremendous opportunity for the broad adoption of meals covered by health insurance by health professionals and the insurance industry.

In 2023,” The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) developed a Food Is Medicine initiative in response to a congressionally funded initiative in fiscal year 2023. This congressional action directed the Secretary of HHS, in consultation with other federal agencies, to develop and implement a federal strategy to reduce nutrition-related chronic diseases and food insecurity to improve health in the United States. This includes diet-related research and programmatic efforts that will increase access to Food Is Medicine initiatives.” The HHS initiative is hopeful, and there have been steps towards reaching the ultimate goal, but there is still so much work to be done. The benefits are endless, from healthier eating habits that lead to healthier people to community connections and support for local farms. By undertaking these efforts, the average American’s diet-related health costs can be reduced, and overall health, community support, and sustainability practices could all improve. Think of the possibilities and opportunities this could create with the one idea that food is medicine.