Abbott’s “food is medicine” meal box delivery transforms diabetes care

New research evidences that Abbott’s Healthy Food Rx “food is medicine” program helped US participants living with diabetes eat more vegetables and fruit, with participants reporting “significantly improved” diet quality and health status.

The community program provides home-delivered healthy food boxes and nutrition education in Stockton, California, where 60% of the population has diabetes or pre-diabetes.

Launched in 2021, Healthy Food Rx is one of the largest community-focused “food is medicine programs” in the country, reaching more than 1,700 participants to date.

“Living with diabetes in an economically underserved community can present numerous challenges, from limited access to affordable, healthy foods to a lack of appropriate health services,” says Erika Takada, executive director of the Public Health Institute Center for Wellness and Nutrition.

“Even with a program that reaches participants just twice a month, we are seeing benefits in people with diabetes eating better foods and feeling healthier. This underscores the foundational role that good nutrition can play in helping to address the impact of diabetes and other chronic diseases on our families and communities.”

Healthier dietary outcomes

These clinical trial findings build on the results of an earlier 12-month study that showed clinically important benefits among Healthy Food Rx participants living with diabetes.

Conducted by the Public Health Institute Center for Wellness and Nutrition, this clinical trial assessed the impact of Abbott’s Healthy Food Rx in a highly food-insecure, low-income, community-based setting of 364 people living with diabetes over six months. 

Health educators recruited participants and randomized them into two groups. The intervention group received home-delivered, meal-based food boxes once every other week for six months with nutrition education in the form of recipes, cooking videos, and text messages.

The boxes included ingredients for a family-sized healthy meal, including lean protein, vegetables and fruits, as well as pantry staples such as beans, rice, and nuts.

Meanwhile, the control group received the intervention after the six-month study period.

All participants received usual care, including potential medication prescriptions and optional diabetes education and social needs referrals.

Study findings

Healthy Food Rx participants reported significantly increased vegetable consumption compared to the control group (0.37 versus 0.03 increased servings per day) and increased fruit consumption compared to the control group (0.3 versus 0.2 increased servings per day).

Participants reported significantly greater improvements in self-reported physical health status over six months (from 38–63%), compared to the control group (from 47–50%).

The researchers also employed the A1C test, which reflects a person’s average glucose levels over the past three months. A1C levels significantly improved for both Healthy Food Rx participants and the control group. Levels decreased by 0.7% and 1.2% in the intervention group and control group, respectively.

Both values exceeded the widely accepted 0.5% benchmark, which is considered a clinically significant change and is associated with improved health outcomes in people with diabetes.

Community building

Participants were strongly satisfied with Healthy Food Rx and shared it with family and friends. Those in the Healthy Food Rx reported strong satisfaction — 98% were satisfied with the program, and 97% used all or most of the food.

Two-thirds of participants (67%) shared the food with two or more people, and 99% were likely to recommend the program to others.

“Programs like Abbott’s Healthy Food Rx are critically important in communities like Stockton, where diabetes incidence and risk are significantly higher,” says Kwabena Adubofour, MD, FACP, internal medicine specialist and a board-certified diabetologist at Community Medical Centers in Stockton.

“From results like A1C reduction to even personal well-being, participants from the CMC clinic benefited greatly from access to healthy foods and nutrition resources. It will be important to see how these benefits translate into long-term improvements in diabetes outcomes so people can lead healthier, fuller lives.”

The findings were presented at the American Diabetes Association’s 85th Scientific Sessions and are one of the few randomized controlled clinical trials examining the impact of “food is medicine” programs.