Whether framed as “Food Is Medicine” or “Food As Medicine,” the phrase gets thrown around a lot in policy discussions, industry forums and healthcare circles. But what does it actually mean for commodities looking to become part of the conversation?
Food Is Medicine isn’t new—organizations like Meals on Wheels have been executing aspects of it for their customers for decades. But recent changes within the elements of the movement have created opportunities for commodities and brands to position themselves within this framework.
While many organizations are talking about the concept, far fewer understand how to apply these conversations for more actionable marketing opportunities. Wild Hive has spent the past few years becoming immersed in this space so we can help food brands and commodity boards identify the best opportunities for engagement.
Understanding the Three Pillars of Food Is Medicine
The movement revolves around three specific areas, each offering unique entry points to provide education to consumers and establish your brand as a trusted nutrition advisor.
Produce Prescriptions
These prescriptions are subsidized dollars for purchasing fresh produce, typically funded by insurance companies or government programs. If you’re diagnosed with a condition like diabetes or heart disease, you might receive a special payment card that works specifically in the produce section of participating retailers.
The challenge? Recipients often don’t know what to buy or how to prepare it. Some individuals may not have a clear understanding of how certain foods benefit their particular condition, while others may have never learned how to select, store, or prepare the produce they need.
This knowledge gap presents an opportunity for commodities and brands that qualify to provide education at the point of sale, helping consumers understand how specific produce items support their health journey.
Medically Tailored Meals
Medically tailored meals (MTMs) are a “Food Is Medicine” intervention that can improve diet-related health outcomes, reduce financial strain and improve associated well-being while addressing disparities and reducing health care spending. Medically tailored meals are fully prepared foods designed for specific health conditions, delivered directly to consumers’ homes. While this approach has existed for years (think Meals on Wheels), it’s evolving to address medical conditions more precisely.
Some MTM programs aim to improve overall diet quality, while others target specific conditions like heart disease and diabetes, with meals carefully developed by registered dietitians. For commodity boards, specifically, the opportunity lies in educating MTM program chefs and dietitians about the nutrition benefits of your products, positioning them as valuable ingredients in their meal planning.
Medically Tailored Groceries
Medically tailored groceries (MTGs) are customized grocery packages designed to help individuals manage specific health conditions through nutrition. Unlike MTMs, which are fully prepared and ready to eat, MTGs provide raw or minimally processed ingredients including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and specialty products, selected to align with a person’s medical needs. Here, the opportunity for commodity boards and brands lies in the education element.
Imagine receiving a five-pound bag of potatoes in your medically tailored grocery (MTG) delivery for hypertension. This isn’t just a chance to share preparation tips, it’s also an opportunity to explain why those potatoes are in the box in the first place. A dietitian selected them because potatoes are a good source of potassium, a key nutrient that helps regulate blood pressure and lower the risk of hypertension, a major contributor to heart disease. They also provide dietary fiber, which can help reduce cholesterol and stabilize blood sugar levels, both critical for maintaining heart health.
This is where your marketing can step in with simple educational materials included in the boxes, explaining nutritional benefits and offering easy preparation methods requiring minimal ingredients.
Success Lies in Meeting Consumers Where They Are
The most successful Food Is Medicine programs don’t try to overhaul eating habits overnight. Instead, they meet people where they are, encouraging small, sustainable changes.
This might mean teaching someone how to roast vegetables at high heat (look what that did for the Brussels sprouts eating experience!).). Or it could involve simple strategies like blending mushrooms with ground beef to stretch a meal like burgers or tacos while also boosting its nutritional value.
These approaches recognize cultural preferences and economic realities while still moving the needle toward healthier eating habits. For commodities and food brands, this means developing messaging that doesn’t belittle consumers but instead offers accessible improvements to their current habits.
4 Opportunities for Brands in Food Is Medicine
Based on our work with commodity boards and food brands, we’ve identified several concrete ways to participate in the Food Is Medicine movement:
- Educational Inserts: Create simple one-sheet guides that can be included in MTG boxes, highlighting your product’s nutritional benefits and offering 1-2 easy preparation methods using minimal ingredients.
- Retail Dietitian Toolkits: Develop resources for in-store dietitians who guide consumers using produce prescriptions, including recipes, nutrition facts and talking points to address common misconceptions.
- Point-of-Sale Education: Design shelf materials for the produce section that help produce prescription users understand how specific items support their health conditions.
- Cross-Utilization Guides: Show how your product can pair with other prescribed foods to create complete, nutritious meals with minimal effort.
These approaches have helped our clients find their place in Food Is Medicine programs, transforming potential obstacles into opportunities.
Looking Ahead to the Future of a Nutrition Movement
We’re looking forward to seeing how the Food Is Medicine movement continues to evolve, with a possible expansion of Produce Prescription programs beyond fresh produce. We’re also closely monitoring how trends like GLP-1 medications (which reduce appetite) will impact nutrition needs, creating new challenges for maintaining nutrient density with smaller portion sizes.
Food brands and commodity boards that establish themselves as trusted partners in this space will have an advantage as these programs expand. The key is providing genuine education rather than just marketing, helping people truly understand how to incorporate nutritious foods into their daily lives.
Finding Your Place in Food Is Medicine
If you’re feeling overwhelmed by the Food Is Medicine conversation, you’re not alone. Many companies recognize the opportunity but struggle to identify their entry point.
The products that succeed will be those shaped by a deep understanding of recent policy conversations, translating those insights into simple, accessible nutrition education that meets people exactly where they are. Whether your customer is in the grocery store, unpacking a box of unfamiliar foods at home or navigating a new diagnosis, there may be an opportunity for your product to jump on board the Food Is Medicine movement. Let’s explore how your nutrition marketing goals can align with this powerful shift in how we approach food and health.