Positive Health & Household Outcomes
About Food As Medicine
Food serves as more than just fuel. It also feeds our minds and souls, providing comfort, connection, and tradition. However, its primary purpose is to provide our body with the things it needs to function.
Food as medicine is a concept that addresses the interconnectedness of food and health. This initiative has spurred a collective movement to address the disparities in access to healthy and healing foods.
Diet-related diseases are a leading cause of death in the United States, even though the US ranks among the wealthiest countries in the world.
On the Treasure Coast, many of our neighbors are experiencing these health challenges at rates higher than both state and national averages. Alarmingly, 25 percent of individuals in our community, including both children and adults, lack access to the nutritious food necessary for sustaining their health and quality of life.
We plan to strengthen healthcare partnerships with Treasure Coast Food Bank and expand our network, ensuring that hunger relief and healthcare work together seamlessly to support community health.
FAM programs can help families afford to eat balanced meals and reduce the number of people who skip meals or experience hunger
Medically-tailored meals can help patients control chronic diseases and experience fewer complications
Decrease in hospital visits
Decrease in loneliness and isolation
Reduced risk of obesity
Increase in consumption of fruits and vegetables
Drop in average LDL (Cholesterol)
Regulate Blood Sugar Levels
Food insecurity contributes to poor health outcomes and further exacerbates health disparities in socioeconomically disadvantaged individuals and families, leading to increased healthcare burden and associated costs.
Strong partnerships with healthcare providers are crucial for our program’s success and integration.
These collaborations enable us to integrate nutritional support into healthcare settings, making it easier for individuals to access the resources they need and for healthcare providers to support their patients.
Our medically tailored meals (MTM) program, FreshCareRX, provides nutritionally dense meals to people with chronic or serious illnesses who have specific dietary needs. The meals are designed to improve health outcomes, reduce the cost of care, and enhance patient satisfaction.
Have more questions about Food As Medicine or FreshCareRX?
We’re here to help. For questions about Market Fresh, feel free to contact us at freshcarerx@tcfoodbank.org
