A new online resource aims to help health care providers turn a growing body of research on nutrition and health into effective care for patients. The Food is Medicine Toolkit brings together the latest evidence, practical guidance, and operational tools to support clinicians and health system leaders looking to integrate nutrition-based interventions into care.
Developed by the Food is Medicine Institute at the Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, the resource was informed by conversations with health care stakeholders, including clinicians and leadership at Kaiser Permanente.
Interest in Food is Medicine approaches—programs such as medically tailored meals, medically tailored groceries, and produce prescriptions—has grown rapidly in recent years as research continues to link diet quality with major chronic diseases.
When patients have access to the right foods, their health improves, but many clinicians and health system leaders face practical questions about how to implement and sustain these programs within complex health care environments. This toolkit takes the guesswork out of Food is Medicine, showing health care providers and administrators how to build, integrate, scale, and measure programs that actually improve patients’ lives.”
Dariush Mozaffarian, cardiologist and director of the Food is Medicine Institute
Grounded in both the latest research and the realities of day-to-day health system operations, the toolkit is organized into six sections that walk users through the full lifecycle of Food is Medicine programs:
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Introduction to Food is Medicine establishes core concepts and program models.
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Designing Effective Food is Medicine Programs reviews the evidence base to support program design aligned with patient needs.
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How Organizations Operationalize Food is Medicine dives into best practices for operational readiness, including vendor selection, community collaborations, and backend infrastructure.
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Integrating Food is Medicine into the Clinical Workflow explores clinical engagement for Food is Medicine programs—from screening, eligibility, and referrals to service delivery, care coordination, and feedback integration.
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The Food is Medicine Value Proposition briefs health system leaders on regulatory considerations, feasibility across lines of business, and key business metrics.
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Supporting Learning and Evaluating for Food is Medicine Programs shares strategies for program longevity that emphasize measurement, continuous improvement, and demonstration of clinical impact.
“For the past several years, health care providers across the country have been building the evidence for Food is Medicine programs. We now can provide this pragmatic, practical guidance around where, for whom, and how food-based interventions can be deployed to improve health outcomes, the patient experience, and care delivery coordination,” said Pamela Schwartz, executive director for community health at Kaiser Permanente. “We’re excited to help other health care organizations tap into this expertise to operationalize their own Food is Medicine programs.”
While the toolkit focuses primarily on clinical implementation, it was designed with the broader Food Is Medicine ecosystem in mind. Many of the resources may also be useful for health plan administrators, community-based organizers, and researchers working to support, finance, and scale nutrition-based interventions.
Food is Medicine Institute experts plan to expand the toolkit with additional tools and guidance tailored to different patient populations, health conditions, and settings as Food is Medicine programs continue to evolve.
“The most powerful innovation is happening with practitioners in the field, and this toolkit is one way we’re lifting up their leadership and ideas so others can build on them,” said Cecilia Gerard, managing director of the Food is Medicine Institute and the toolkit’s architect.
