What is the difference between medically tailored food packages and produce prescriptions?

October 24, 2025 •

4 min read

An estimated 15.1 million medically tailored meals were delivered via Food is Medicine Coalition programs, indicating a significant effort to address nutrition-related health issues. Medically tailored food packages and produce prescriptions are distinct strategies used in this movement, and understanding their key differences is crucial for patients, providers, and policymakers alike.

Quick Summary

Medically tailored food packages provide comprehensive, condition-specific meals or groceries, while produce prescriptions offer vouchers for fruits and vegetables to improve diet quality and address food insecurity.

Key Points

Purpose: Medically tailored food packages are a therapeutic intervention for serious, chronic illnesses, while produce prescriptions are for preventative care and increasing fresh produce consumption.
Food Provided: MTFPs offer nutritionally complete, condition-specific meals or groceries; PRx provides vouchers for fruits and vegetables only.
Customization: MTFPs are highly tailored by a registered dietitian, whereas PRx allows patients to choose their produce from approved retailers.
Patient Profile: MTFPs are for patients with complex medical needs, while PRx targets those with food insecurity and diet-related health risks.
Implementation: MTFPs may involve home delivery of prepared meals or specific groceries, while PRx involves vouchers redeemed at stores or markets.
Clinical Support: MTFP programs typically include intensive nutrition counseling, whereas PRx often includes more general nutrition education.

A Deeper Dive into 'Food Is Medicine' Programs

The "Food Is Medicine" movement recognizes the critical link between a patient's diet and their overall health, especially in the context of chronic illness. As a result, healthcare systems and community organizations are increasingly implementing programs to provide nutritious food to patients in need. Medically tailored food packages (MTFPs) and produce prescriptions (PRx) represent two major intervention types within this spectrum, each serving a unique purpose and patient population. While both aim to use food for better health, they differ significantly in their level of customization, target conditions, and delivery methods.

Medically Tailored Food Packages: A Highly Personalized Intervention

Medically tailored food packages are designed for individuals with serious, chronic, or complex illnesses, where nutrition is a critical component of disease management. These packages go beyond simply providing healthy food; they are specifically curated to meet the precise dietary and nutritional requirements of a patient's medical condition.

Comprehensive Assessment: The process starts with a referral from a healthcare provider or plan. A registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) then conducts a thorough nutrition assessment to understand the patient's medical history, dietary restrictions, and needs.
Tailored to Conditions: The resulting food package is specifically modified for conditions such as diabetes, heart disease, renal failure, HIV, or cancer. For example, a package for a diabetic patient would be carbohydrate-controlled, while a heart-healthy one would be low in sodium.
Prepared Meals or Groceries: MTFPs can come in two main forms: home-delivered, ready-to-eat meals (Medically Tailored Meals, or MTMs) or curated boxes of unprepared groceries (Medically Tailored Groceries). The choice often depends on the patient's ability to shop and prepare food.
Holistic Support: The intervention often includes ongoing nutrition counseling and education from an RDN, offering a high-touch, supportive approach to care.

Produce Prescriptions: Boosting Access to Fresh Fruits and Vegetables

Produce prescriptions are a preventative or supportive service for eligible patients who have a diet-related health risk or condition and face food insecurity. The core goal is to increase access to and consumption of fresh produce.

Clinician Referral: Like MTFPs, PRx programs begin with a referral from a healthcare provider. The provider identifies patients with or at risk for diet-related illness and food insecurity.
Voucher-Based System: The "prescription" is typically a voucher, reloadable card, or coupon that patients can redeem for free or discounted fruits and vegetables.
Redemption Locations: These vouchers are fulfilled at participating food retail locations, which can include grocery stores, farmers' markets, or Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs. This provides patient-directed choice and flexibility.
Focus on Produce: The benefit is strictly for fruits and vegetables, often with stipulations that the produce has no added fats, sugars, or salt.

Comparison of Medically Tailored Food Packages and Produce Prescriptions


Feature	Medically Tailored Food Packages (MTFPs)	Produce Prescriptions (PRx)
Core Purpose	Therapeutic intervention for specific chronic or complex illnesses.	Preventative or supportive care to increase consumption of fresh produce.
Target Population	Patients with serious, chronic conditions and often significant health issues.	Patients with or at risk for diet-related illness and experiencing food insecurity.
Food Provided	Comprehensive, nutritionally complete meals or grocery boxes tailored to specific medical needs.	Vouchers for free or discounted fresh fruits and vegetables only.
Level of Tailoring	Highly customized, developed by a Registered Dietitian for specific medical conditions.	General focus on fruits and vegetables; patient-directed choice within that category.
Delivery Method	Home-delivered prepared meals or packaged grocery kits.	Vouchers or cards redeemed by the patient at partner retailers.
Associated Services	Often includes nutrition counseling, education, and social support.	May include nutrition education, but is typically less intensive.

Evidence and Health Outcomes

Both programs are valuable but target different aspects of a patient's health journey. Medically tailored food packages provide a more intensive intervention for individuals with complex medical needs and limited capacity to prepare food. Studies show MTFPs can lead to improved health outcomes like lower blood pressure and reduced healthcare costs for certain populations. Produce prescription programs, while less intensive, have also demonstrated significant benefits, such as increased fruit and vegetable consumption, reduced food insecurity, and improved health markers like BMI and HbA1c levels. The choice between the two often depends on the patient's clinical needs, capacity, and the severity of their condition. The broader "Food is Medicine" ecosystem relies on these distinct interventions to provide a full spectrum of nutritional support. A key resource in this field is the Food is Medicine Coalition, which defines and accredits high-quality programs.

Conclusion

In summary, the core difference between medically tailored food packages and produce prescriptions lies in their approach and scope. MTFPs are a precise, medically targeted intervention providing customized, condition-specific meals or groceries to those with complex illnesses and high medical needs. In contrast, produce prescriptions are a broader, often preventative program that provides patients facing food insecurity with the means to purchase more fresh fruits and vegetables. Both are powerful tools within the "Food Is Medicine" framework, but they are not interchangeable. Their combined use and strategic application represent a comprehensive approach to leveraging nutrition to improve health outcomes and reduce healthcare costs across different patient populations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Medically tailored food packages are designed for a variety of serious, chronic, and complex illnesses. Common conditions include diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, HIV, and cancer.

Eligibility for a produce prescription is typically determined by a healthcare provider who identifies a patient as having or being at risk for a diet-related illness and experiencing food insecurity.

Both programs are typically offered at a low or no cost to the eligible patient. They are funded through partnerships with healthcare plans, government programs (like Medicaid), and non-profit organizations.

Produce prescriptions are often redeemable at participating food retail locations, which can include both grocery stores and farmers' markets. The specific locations depend on the program and its partnerships.

It depends on the program. Some medically tailored food packages (known as Medically Tailored Meals) are home-delivered as ready-to-eat meals, while others provide medically tailored groceries with unprepared ingredients for the patient to cook.

Studies suggest that both types of programs can help reduce long-term healthcare costs. Medically tailored food packages can decrease hospitalizations, while produce prescriptions can help prevent costly chronic disease events.

Availability varies by location and funding. Many states and healthcare systems have pilot programs or established Food Is Medicine initiatives, but access is not yet universal. Organizations like the Food Is Medicine Coalition work to expand access.

The primary goal is to increase the consumption of nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables among a target population, which helps improve diet quality and manage or prevent diet-related diseases.