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Mountains of scientific evidence support both the negative and positive effects of our eating habits on our health. Research shows that a healthy diet can help those suffering from chronic health conditions like type 2 diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure.

This is where "food is medicine" comes in. Food is medicine, also known as "food as medicine" and "food prescriptions," is a movement dedicated to providing healthy food—fruits, vegetables and sometimes healthy proteins—based on a clinician's prescription in order to prevent, manage or treat specific clinical conditions.

Prescribing food to patients is intended to convey that food is just as important as medication for health and wellness.

As researchers whose work focuses on food access and health in rural communities, we have firsthand experience running food is medicine programs in our local area in northern Mississippi. This experience has shown us the benefits and limitations of these programs in our community.

Food is medicine programs can be delivered through curated food boxes, grocery vouchers and medically tailored meals. Most programs are collaborations between nonprofit organizations, health clinics and health care providers. The goal of food is medicine is to improve patient health, especially for those with chronic conditions, while reducing health care costs.

Increasingly, food is medicine programs have become lifelines for people with food insecurity. 3 million children, lived in food-insecure households —meaning they were at some point uncertain of having, or did not have, enough food for everyone in the household.

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