FOOD IS MEDICINE

At LCS, we recognize healthy food is foundational to health and dignity. Through our Food is Medicine initiative, we partner with a healthcare provider and others to deliver medically tailored groceries, fresh produce, and nutrition education to individuals facing chronic illnesses, food insecurity, and social barriers to care. As a trusted community-based nonprofit, we’re building models that integrate healthy food access into the broader continuum of care.

By addressing health equity and the root cause of many chronic diseases, we help our neighbors achieve better health outcomes and reduce preventable healthcare costs. Our Food is Medicine programming ensures that vulnerable populations receive nourishment and the support and resources they need to thrive, because wellness starts with what’s on the plate.

“Food is medicine” is the provision of healthy food to prevent, manage, or treat specific clinical conditions in a way that is integrated within the healthcare sector. Patients are referred to these services by a healthcare provider, healthcare organization, or health insurance plan. Preliminary evidence indicates that delivering food is medicine programs may improve health outcomes, reduce healthcare utilization and costs, address health disparities, and reduce nutrition and food insecurity for patients living with acute or chronic diseases.
— American Heart Association: Health Care by Food

Poor nutrition is one of the most urgent public health issues of our time, and LCS is working to change that. It is a leading driver of chronic illness and early death in the U.S., disproportionately affecting low-income families, communities of color, and those living with limited access to healthy food.

In Delaware, many of the individuals and families we serve through LCS’s Food is Medicine and nutrition security programs are living with conditions like diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, or obesity, conditions that are deeply linked to what’s on their plates.

Despite this, nutrition is still largely overlooked in traditional healthcare. The result? Preventable diseases are rising, health inequities are growing, and the economic toll is staggering:

• 1 in 2 adults in the U.S. has diabetes or prediabetes
• 3 in 4 adults are overweight or obese
• Poor diet contributes to more than 500,000 deaths per year
• $1.1 trillion is lost annually due to healthcare costs and lost productivity from diet-related illness
• Diabetes alone costs over $327 billion in medical care and lost work productivity

But many of these outcomes are preventable, and Food is Medicine and a focus on nutrition security offer a high-impact, cost-effective solution.

They nourish the body and restore hope, and the impact is measurable:

• Expanding medically tailored meal programs could save the U.S. healthcare system an estimated $13.6 billion per year, even after covering program costs
• Produce Prescription programs are as cost-effective as clinical interventions like cholesterol or blood pressure medications

Food is Medicine interventions are more than just meals, they are a proven way to:

• Improve chronic disease management
• Reduce preventable hospital visits
• Address root causes of health disparities

We are proud to serve as the co-founder and key partner in the Delaware Food Farmacy, a comprehensive Food is Medicine initiative designed to reduce health disparities and improve outcomes for individuals living with diet-related chronic illnesses.

To read more about The Delaware Food Farmacy, visit our Program page.

Our goal at LCS is to meet the needs of our clients. To that end, we were inspired to apply the principles of 'Food is Medicine' to ensure Delaware families have access to healthy food options. Not just providing food, but securing their access to nutrition.

In addition to an expanded access to healthy options in our Food Pantries, LCS also has piloted programs like Lettuce, to bring healthy food pantries to local schools, and Nourish, a food delivery program for those with Sickle Cell Disease. 

To read more about these programs, visit our Nutrition Security page.

On the policy level, the LCS is playing a leading role helping shape Delaware’s first Food is Medicine framework. Rob Gurnee, Executive Director of LCS, serves on Gov. Matt Meyer’s newly formed Food is Medicine committee, along with with healthcare providers, legislators, agricultural leaders, researchers, and others.

Lt. Gov. Kyle Evans Gay is chairing the committee, which draw insights from proven models in other states, as well as in to build on the success of the Delaware Food Farmacy and other existing initiatives in Delaware.

The committee will focus on three goals:

• Health Equity: Expand access to nutrition programs for low-income and high-risk communities.
• Cost Savings: Reduce hospital visits and Medicaid spending by improving diet-related health conditions.
• Economic Growth: Strengthen Delaware’s food system by creating demand for locally grown produce.

If you’d like to learn more about the Food is Medicine movement, check out the links below for more information. 

• Tufts Food is Medicine Institute
• ChristianaCare
• The Rockefeller Foundation
• Kaiser Permante
• Delaware Food is Medicine Committee

The best way to help us is host a food drive to augment the fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meats, fish and whole grains that we supply.

For a downloadable list of the items we need, check out the list below!

Unsure on how to best run a food drive? Check out our 'How to Host a Drive' page for more information!