Skip to main content

Understanding Food Is Medicine

Food Is Medicine means that food and nutrition can help improve health, and that access to nutritious food is essential for well-being.

food
food

Food Is Medicine encompasses a broad range of approaches that promote optimal health and healing and reduce disease burden by providing nutritious food—with human services, education, and policy change—through collaboration at the nexus of health care and community.  

There are a variety of FIM models and a quickly evolving landscape of FIM interventions across communities and systems. HHS and its Federal partners are working to advance Food Is Medicine by setting a unifying foundation that supports cross-sector collaboration and greater uptake of proven Food Is Medicine models. 

man delivering groceries

More in This Section

Our Principles for Food Is Medicine

Food Is Medicine takes various approaches to providing nutritious food through education, policy changes, and collaboration at the nexus of health care and community. 

Read more about Our Principles for Food Is Medicine

Our Vision for Food Is Medicine

We aim to work alongside our federal agency partners to unify efforts to encourage the integration of Food Is Medicine interventions across communities and health systems.

Read more about Our Vision for Food Is Medicine

Exploring the Food Is Medicine Landscape

This analysis captures current Food Is Medicine research and policy environment and provides the approaches, opportunities, and challenges to inform current and future efforts.

Read more about Exploring the Food Is Medicine Landscape

Select Policy for Interventions

We provide foundational information about how select HHS policy guidance can support Food Is Medicine interventions within health systems.

Read more about Select Policy for Interventions

Types of Interventions

Food Is Medicine interventions are most effective when designed and built to align with the assets of the community and partners.

Read more about Types of Interventions