Medically Tailored Meals

Medically Tailored Meals

Why Medically Tailored Meals are Important

We know having fresh, healthy, scratch made meals tailored to an individual’s medical condition can make a huge difference on their health. Medically Tailored Meals service at Houston Food Bank does exactly that as well as connecting clients with our Registered Dietitians to provide nutrition education and individualized nutrition counseling to provide well rounded care for our clients to help them meet their health goals.

Fruits and vegetables on a wooden table with a person in a lab coat writing notes in the background
Medically Tailored Meal

Who Medically Tailored Meals serves?

Medically Tailored Meals serves people living with serious illnesses who benefit from specifically designed foods for their diagnosis and other complications.
These nutritious meals support health for people living with diabetes, cardiovascular disease, COPD, cancer, and HIV/AIDS as well as limited mobility.
Currently Houston Food Bank serves people living with HIV with a comorbidity of cardiovascular disease and/or diabetes through funding from the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program.

How does Medically Tailored Meals work?

Clients are referred by a healthcare provider or plan, which also recommends a menu to support specific conditions like diabetes or HIV/AIDS.

Houston Food Bank confirms eligibility and conducts a nutrition risk assessment.

A Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) completes a comprehensive nutrition assessment and creates a personalized meal and care plan.

Medically Tailored Meals - grilled chicken, rice, vegetables and eggroll

Clients receive a minimum of 10 frozen, nutritionally tailored meals per week, delivered to their home, for at least 6 months. The program includes ongoing nutrition education, counseling, and reassessments to ensure meals continue to meet evolving health needs.

The impact of Medically Tailored Meals

0%
fewer inpatient admissions
0%
reduction in net health care costs
0%
fewer skilled nursing facility admissions
0%
less emergency department visits
0%
increase in adherence to antiretroviral therapy among people with HIV
0%
lower total average monthly healthcare costs for recipients

Sources

  • Berkowitz, S. A., Terranova, J., Hill, C., Ajayi, T., Linsky, T., Tishler, L. W., & DeWalt, D. A. (2019, June 3). Meal delivery programs reduce the use of costly health care in dually eligible Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. JAMA Internal Medicine. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2730768
  • Berkowitz, S. A., Terranova, J., Hill, C., Ajayi, T., Linsky, T., Tishler, L. W., & DeWalt, D. A. (2018, April 1). Meal delivery programs reduce the use of costly health care in dually eligible Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries. Health Affairs. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29608345/
  • Palar, K., Napoles, T., Hufstedler, L. L., Seligman, H., Hecht, F. M., Madsen, K., Ryle, M., Pitchford, S., Frongillo, E. A., & Weiser, S. D. (2017, February 1). Comprehensive and medically appropriate food support is associated with improved HIV and diabetes health. Journal of Urban Health. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28097614/ “`【2-bf1b9f】
  • Gurvey, J., Rand, K., Daugherty, S., Dinger, C., Schmeling, J., & Laverty, N. (2013, June 3). Examining health care costs among MANNA clients and a comparison group. Journal of Primary Care & Community Health. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23799677/