The food is medicine (FIM) field experienced a landmark year, with a 68% increase in published research studies and substantial progress in public policy, according to a new report from the American Heart Association's Health Care by Food™ initiative. The annual report, Advances in the Food Is Medicine Field 2026, reviewed 57 studies published between July 2025 and June 2026. Notably, the number of randomized controlled trials—considered the gold standard in medical research—quadrupled in just one year, signaling a rapidly expanding scientific evidence base.
Government investment has followed the science. Sixteen states now have approved or are considering Medicaid waivers to support FIM programs, while six states are using Medicaid managed care in lieu of services (ILOS) authority to provide FIM services. Federal policymakers increased FIM funding by $24 million in the FY2026 spending bill, a more than fourfold increase since FY2024. State Medicaid evaluations cited in the report found that FIM programs were associated with lower hospitalization and emergency department use, as well as reductions in healthcare costs. These findings suggest that healthcare-integrated nutrition interventions can improve health outcomes cost-effectively, offering a potential path to reduce the burden of diet-related chronic diseases.
The report highlights medically tailored meals (MTMs) and medically tailored groceries (MTGs) as showing particularly promising results. Multiple studies found growing evidence that these interventions can improve blood pressure, hemoglobin A1c, and other cardiometabolic risk factors, with stronger signals when paired with nutrition counseling, community health worker support, or other complementary services. However, further research is needed to understand the specific role these services play in improving health outcomes.
"Food is medicine science has moved beyond the question of whether these interventions are feasible and effective to how they can be most beneficial for individual patients and communities," said Nancy Brown, Chief Executive Officer of the American Heart Association. "Today's evidence is helping answer which interventions work best, for whom, under what circumstances, and how healthcare systems can implement them effectively to meaningfully improve health cost effectively."
Personalized, patient-centered approaches are emerging as key success factors. The strongest outcomes were seen in programs that combined food support with services such as nutrition counseling, diabetes self-management education, motivational interviewing, community health worker support, and care navigation. Participant preferences, cultural relevance, convenience, and flexibility play critical roles in program engagement and effectiveness. "The next phase of research will focus on matching the type and design of a food is medicine intervention to a patient's needs, preferences and circumstances—an essential step in continuing to increase engagement and sustained impact," said Kevin Volpp, MD, PhD, American Heart Association's Health Care by Food scientific lead.
The report concludes that the field is entering a more mature phase, shifting from questions about feasibility toward optimization, implementation, financing, and sustainability. For healthcare leaders, policymakers, and payers, this growing body of evidence provides critical guidance for integrating food-based interventions into healthcare delivery. As the American Heart Association's Health Care by Food initiative continues to drive this work, the implications for public health are significant: better-designed FIM programs could lead to improved health outcomes, reduced healthcare costs, and a more personalized approach to chronic disease management.
