For decades, clinicians have tried their best to treat hypertension by prescribing long-term medications to manage symptoms. Still, so many people struggle to keep their blood pressure within the healthy range, under 120/80, and it can be challenging for providers to prescribe additional support for lifestyle changes. Those are things like food and exercise plans, which are very important for hypertension care.
This was the inspiration behind the THRIVE Food is Medicine study, a research project at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing. Our goal was to see whether “prescribing” food, a lifestyle support intervention, can help ensure a person with hypertension maintains a healthy blood pressure. So we offered people in the study a “produce prescription” of heart-healthy, fresh produce and coaching from a dietitian to complement their medication regimen.
THRIVE is a project under Food Is Medicine, a 2023 initiative from the Department of Health and Human Services. The American Heart Association defines Food Is Medicine as the provision of healthy food such as medically tailored meals, medically tailored groceries, and produce prescriptions to treat or manage specific clinical conditions in a way that is integrated with and paid for by the heath care sector. The initiative aims to combine research, policy advocacy, and partnerships to make food-based care a routine part of health care delivery, and funds projects that show how integrating nutritious food into treatment can improve outcomes and lower costs.
In THRIVE, 80 study participants received individualized coaching from a registered dietitian and “produce prescriptions” of fresh, heart-healthy fruits and vegetables available from local farmers. Local farms delivered food directly each week, and included nutrition education and recipe cards that reflected participants’ cultural food traditions. Instead of promoting a one-size-fits-all diet, the program helped individual participants adapt familiar foods and modify cooking practices into healthier versions that felt practical and culturally relevant. It also modeled produce-buying behavior; when people shop for groceries, they are more likely to pick vegetables they now know how to prepare in a heart-healthy way.
When the program ended, many of the participants asked a simple question: When does the next phase begin? Their response showed a genuine desire to continue, reflecting how deeply the program resonated with them.
“Living with chronic conditions, I’ve experienced firsthand how difficult it can be to balance medical advice with the realities of everyday life,” said Anita Bell-Muhammad, a Health Care by Food Patient Advisory Board member. “The program represents hope, accountability, and the belief that food can be a powerful tool in managing health. It also reinforces that I’m not navigating this journey alone—there are organizations, resources, and a larger community invested in supporting patients like me in making sustainable dietary changes.”
Building the case for Food is Medicine
The long-term vision behind the THRIVE study model, and Food is Medicine more broadly, is to establish a permanent, equitable system where clinicians can prescribe produce and dietary approaches that are covered by insurance and public health programs, just like any other medication.
To that end, Bunmi Ogungbe, PhD, MPH, RN, principal investigator for THRIVE, shared early wins from the study at “State of the Plate: Food is Medicine in Action,” a fireside chat hosted by the American Heart Association Healthcare by Food initiative during the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Annual Legislative Conference in September 2025.
“There is emerging evidence that when people follow the recommended dietary pattern from the dietitian, and have access to it through the prescription and ‘FARMacies,’ along with their prescribed medications, their blood pressure is significantly more controlled,” said Dr. Ogungbe.
She continued, “If I had a magic wand, my wish is that the next time you see your primary care provider to discuss your heart health and blood pressure numbers, they would refer you to a multi-component Food is Medicine program like THRIVE, and that your recommended food box would arrive promptly at your home, fully covered by your health benefits, for as long as you need it.”
Baltimore’s Food is Medicine Models
For Baltimore residents, “prescribing” food is not new. The city has long been home to Moveable Feast, one of the nation’s leading examples of food as medicine in practice. For more than 30 years, Moveable Feast has provided medically tailored meals to Marylanders living with conditions such as HIV/AIDS, cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Services are free but require a referral from a medical provider, such as a doctor, case manager, or social worker.
The THRIVE study builds on this legacy, adding new research to expand the model into preventive care for chronic conditions like hypertension, which continues to affect nearly one in three adults in Maryland. As evidence grows, advocates in Baltimore and across the country have a stronger foundation to push for a health care system that invests in one of the most effective treatments available—good food—because, after all, food is medicine.
Throughout our THRIVE study, we relied on Moon Valley Farms to provide our participants with meals compatible with FIM. As such, for those interested in trying out this kind of food or healthier food in general, the recipes page on Moon Valley Farms’ website may be a place to start. Those interested can also visit Medstar’s community health page for recipes, cooking videos, upcoming community engagement events, and a list of hospitals participating in FIM.
Please note, Food is Medicine can complement (not replace) medication therapy. Please consult your health care provider if you have questions about your medications.