Food as Medicine: Helping Nonprofits Build Healthier and Stronger Communities

Nutritious meals help build healthier and happier lives. Nonprofits are using nutrition to help families stay well, reduce the frequency of doctor visits, and create stronger communities. It’s a hopeful change that’s already touching lives, and it’s gaining momentum every day. 

Nutritious meals and Food as Medicine

Why Food is the New Frontier of Health 

Research shows that every $1 invested in the “Food as Medicine” initiative returns $1.5–$2 in reduced medical expenses. Nonprofits and healthcare organizations are partnering to make nutrition a cornerstone of prevention and treatment. 

“Nutrition is the foundation of wellness and social equity," 

Real Stories of Impact: 

Here are four ways nonprofits are helping the communities through the “Food as Medicine” movement: 

1. Delta Produce RX (Leland, Mississippi)  

Low-income patients receive a monthly credit for produce, plus cooking classes and wellness-center access resulting in a strong word-of-mouth growth since 2020. 

2. Geisinger Health’s Fresh Food Farmacy (Pennsylvania) 

Diabetes patients receive fresh food, education, and clinical support leading to 75% fewer hospital admissions, 30% fewer ER visits, and dramatic HbA1c reductions  

3. Fresh food Pharmacies (nationwide)  

Studies and reports (like those by Tufts and the Milken Institute) show mounting support for medically tailored meals and produce Rx models across the U.S.  

4. God’s Love We Deliver (New York) 

This nonprofit delivers medically tailored meals to seriously ill clients, which has helped with 70% fewer ER visits and significant health improvements. 

Why It Matters for Everyone 

“Food as Medicine” has a wide range of impacts on families, neighborhoods, and future generations in addition to the patients themselves. By making nutrition accessible, these efforts can: 

• Reduce medical costs (returning $1.5–$2 for every dollar invested) 

• Promote health equity in underserved communities 

• Strengthen resilience and support long-term wellbeing 

Getting Involved: What Your Nonprofit Can Do 

Here’s how your organization can launch or expand a Food as Medicine initiative: 

• Build Partnerships: Connect with local hospitals, health departments, and farms. 

• Secure Grants: Explore funding from the USDA, CDC, or private health-focused foundations. 

• Train Volunteers: Develop nutrition advocates within your community. 

• Track Impact: Collect stories, statistics, and feedback to show how your program improves lives. 

FREE DOWNLOAD: “Your Food as Medicine Checklist” 

To help you get started, we’ve created a downloadable checklist with actionable steps for launching a Food as Medicine initiative in your area. 

Download Checklist

Join the Movement 

Visit the Food is Medicine Coalition – A national alliance of nonprofits advancing medically tailored meals and nutrition services for people with chronic illnesses 

What role do you think nutrition can play in creating healthier communities? Let us know in the comments, we’d love to hear from you! 

Interested in starting a ‘Food as Medicine’ initiative? Connect with  CLASS Consulting Group. - a trusted advisor to board and leadership teams of nonprofits since 2002. Learn more and reach out today.