OB & PEDIATRIC PRACTITIONERS
An effective tool for preventative care and healthier outcomes.
Food is Medicine
Our Produce Prescription Approach
A Prescription for a Healthier Future: Unlocking Health Through Fresh Produce
THE POWER OF PRODUCE RX:
Our Produce Rx program bridges the gap between healthcare and nutrition. Doctors prescribe fresh fruits and vegetables to patients in need, promoting healthier diets and preventing chronic illnesses. The Brighter Bites Produce Rx program focuses on both “clinic and healthcare engagement” and “family and patient engagement”
Who is impacted by the Produce Rx program:
INSURANCE PAYERS
Reduced healthcare costs and improved patient well-being.
CLINICS AND HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS
Brighter Bites focuses on “capacity building” and trains the clinic providers in knowing the available resources Brighter Bites provides.
PATIENTS
Receive fresh, nutritious food as part of their treatment plan, leading to better health outcomes.
“Our ultimate goal is to get kids and families to eat more fruits and vegetables than they did before and reduce risk for diet-related diseases later in life. The nice thing about getting a box is that you try something new and we do that intentionally. We want to create excitement and build a palate through encouraging them to try different foods.”
DR. Shreela V. Sharma, PhD, RDN, professor of epidemiology at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health
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“My [child] says the apples are very delicious. There was a variety and everything was in good condition.”
Brighter Bites Family
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“I like that I was able to make different plates! I love the collards, lemons, potatoes, onion, chilis peppers…I made noodle soup and added the collards & potatoes and made lemon juice…Next day made mashed potato and a salsa verde.”
Brighter Bites Family
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“It was a variety that’s what I like about it.”
Brighter Bites Family
PROVEN SUCCESS
In our 11 current markets, we’ve delivered thousands of pounds of produce to patients, improving their well-being and reducing healthcare costs.
COMMUNITY-CENTRIC
We work closely with local communities to ensure our programs meet their unique needs.
SCALABLE MODEL
Our approach is ready for expansion, and with your support, we can reach even more families in need.
IMPLEMENTATION TOOLKIT
Implementation Toolkit Coming Soon!
More information coming soon!
FEATURED PROJECT
WHITE HOUSE CHALLENGE TO END HUNGER
THE CHALLENGE, WHICH WAS SENT TO NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS BY INVITATION ONLY, IS PART OF THE BIDEN-HARRIS ADMINISTRATION’S NATIONAL STRATEGY ON HUNGER, NUTRITION, AND HEALTH.
Our commitment, made by in partnership with UTHealth Houston, seeks to improve food security, diet quality, and health outcomes for vulnerable communities. Please see the details below:
Produce prescriptions for children through school-based health centers with Brighter Bites – UTHealth Houston and Brighter Bites, a nonprofit organization, are partnering together to implement and evaluate the impact of a comprehensive produce prescription strategy consisting of access to fresh produce plus nutrition education for implementation among food-insecure children and their families through school-based health centers. Produce will be provided through the Houston Food Bank. There are more than 3,200 school-based health centers across 48 U.S. states with over 7 million children receiving primary care at these clinics. The initiative will start in Texas with partners such as Legacy Community Health School-Based Health clinics. With the national footprint of Brighter Bites, the produce prescription approach will be scaled so that it is available for implementation across school-based health centers nationwide.
THE RESEARCH
ARTICLES
- New clinic program adds colorful bites for brighter futures
- BRIGHTER BITES AND UT PHYSICIANS PRODUCE PRESCRIPTION PROGRAM SPOTLIGHT
- Food Is Medicine: A Primer on Health System Initiatives in Texas
- The Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program (GusNIP) awards $483,612 to School-Based Produce Prescription evaluation
- White House Challenge to End Hunger approves UTHealth Houston innovative commitments to Food Is Medicine
PAPERS
- Design and protocol of a clinic-based comparative effectiveness randomized controlled trial to determine the feasibility and effectiveness of food prescription program strategies in at-risk pediatric populations (read here)
PRESENTATIONS
- Chuang, R.J (October 2024). Associations of nutrition security and self-reported mental health and chronic disease outcomes among elementary school teachers. American Public Health Association (APHA) 2024 Annual Meeting in Minneapolis, MN.
- Marshall, Allison (May 2024). Process and Implementation Evaluation of the Brighter Bites/UT Physicians Produce Rx – a Community-Academic-Healthcare. Partnership at International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity Annual Conference in Omaha, NE.
- Chuang, R.J. (May 2024). Development of a video-based cooking intervention and its preliminary impact on low-income participants’ self-efficacy in basic cooking skills. Partnership at International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity Annual Conference in Omaha, NE.
- Senn, MacKenzie (May 2024). Cross-sectional Associations of Food Insecurity with Mental Health and Cardiometabolic Health at Baseline among Elementary School Teachers. Partnership at International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity Annual Conference in Omaha, NE.
- Senn, MacKenzie (May 2024). Design, Protocol and Baseline data of Nurturing Healthy Teachers, a cluster non-randomized controlled trial to improve the health, well-being, and food security of pre-kindergarten and school teachers. Partnership at International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity Annual Conference in Omaha, NE.
- Mathur, Mallika (May 2024). Evaluating the impact of a produce prescription program among low-income overweight and obese children and their families. Partnership at International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity Annual Conference in Omaha, NE.
- Sharma, Shreela (May 2024). School nutrition environment, household food security, child diet quality and dental caries among kindergarteners from low-income communities: Baseline data from CATCH Healthy Smiles cluster-RCT. Partnership at International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity Annual Conference in Omaha, NE.
- Mathur, M., Marshall, A., Prabhu, V., Yeragi, P., Markham, C., Chuang, RJ., Pomeroy, M., Gaminian, A., McKay, S., Hall, Megan., Preston, A., Stark, K., Kow, R., Sharma, S. (November 2023). Oral Presentation. Lessons learned from the field for a comparative effectiveness RCT assessing the impact of produce prescription on overweight and obese children and their families. American Public Health Association (APHA) 2023 Annual Meeting. Atlanta, GA.
- Marshall, A., Mathur, M., Prabhu, V., Yeragi, P., Markham, C., Chuang, RJ., Pomeroy, M., Gaminian, A., Hall, Megan., McKay, S., Preston, A., Stark, K., Kow, R., Sharma, S. (November 2023). Poster Presentation. Design and recruitment strategies of a comparative effectiveness randomized control trial to evaluate the impact of produce prescription program strategies among low-income overweight and obese children and their families. American Public Health Association (APHA) 2023 Annual Meeting. Atlanta, GA.
OUR SCIENCE ALLIANCE
The Fruit Loop
