Nutrition Security
Our Goals
We work to increase nutrition security by promoting access to and affordability of food that supports people’s health and well-being. Our work is grounded in partnerships with family medicine clinics, community organizations, dietitians, and researchers, ensuring that care reflects community voices and that programs align with the realities of local food environments.
Why It’s Important
Everyone deserves food that meets their health needs and aligns with their culture and taste preferences. Yet more than 48 million people in the U.S. don’t have enough food. Improving access to healthy, culturally relevant foods can help prevent and manage chronic disease, reduce health care costs, and strengthen community well-being.
Building Connections
We work with a variety of partners from public health to health insurers in order to ensure our research and projects are useful on a broader level.
What We’ve Done
In collaboration with University of Wisconsin Department of Family Medicine and Community Health researchers and external partners, we’re piloting strategies at a family medicine clinic by testing the feasibility and effectiveness of providing patients with:
- Produce prescriptions: A prescription for fruits and vegetables to help patients meet their nutritional needs.
- Medically tailored groceries: Discounts on fresh fruits and vegetables curated to treat specific medical conditions.
- Nutrition education and counseling: Preparing patients to make food choices that support their health and well-being and facilitating nutrition and physical activity goal setting.
- Nutrition education for future clinicians: Preparing future and current clinicians to provide nutrition education to patients that is grounded in community health.
Current Initiatives
Food Is Medicine: Produce Preference Survey
In collaboration with local food system partners — including emergency food providers, community gardens, and regional food networks — we are codeveloping a bilingual (Spanish and English) produce preference survey. Findings will guide future local crop planning, value‑added processing decisions, and Food Is Medicine program design. The project centers community voices to ensure emergency food and clinical nutrition programs reflect cultural foodways and real‑world preferences.
Community Health Learning Experiences (CHLE)
We facilitate nutrition focused CHLE rotations for family medicine residents, covering prenatal and postpartum nutrition, chronic disease prevention, and food access. Residents gain experience incorporating food security screening, brief counseling, and resource navigation into routine care.
SNAP/Double Dollars Quality Improvement Project
This quality improvement initiative is increasing access to Dane County Double Dollars by screening patients for SNAP/FoodShare/EBT use and providing referrals to the program. Double Dollars offers a dollar‑for‑dollar match at participating farmers’ markets and can be used to purchase fruits and vegetables, supporting both patients and local growers.
What’s Next?
As members of the Wisconsin Food is Medicine Workgroup, we are strengthening collaborations across UW–Madison, community organizations, and health systems to grow Food is Medicine initiatives statewide. We are building a collaborative system that links communities, clinics, and access to healthy food.