State Medicaid agencies are increasingly developing “Food is Medicine” programs with the aim of improving health outcomes and lowering health-related costs for low-income people. The role of food in people’s lives is influenced by a complex interplay of socioecological systems, including personal values and beliefs, social interactions, and community development. To improve the effectiveness of these programs, states can integrate a more nuanced understanding of the broader social role of food into program design and implementation.

By prioritizing choice and quality in Food is Medicine service offerings, aligning programs with other food and nutrition insecurity programs, and reframing success in program implementation, states can help ensure that Food is Medicine services achieve their intended health care goals while prioritizing the human experience and consumer choice.

In this article, featured in Health Affairs’ April issue on food, nutrition, and health, CHCS Program Officer Amanda Bank, MPH, explores how state agencies can effectively integrate Food is Medicine approaches into their program design and delivery and use food and nutrition security to meet people’s whole-person care needs.