KC Fresh Rx program helps participants eat more fruits and vegetables

From May through November, the KC Fresh Rx program helped patients on Medicaid who are pre-hypertensive and/or pre-diabetic and who have experienced food insecurity focus on ways to eat more fruits and vegetables. 

Participants attended nutrition classes with a registered dietitian where they learned about making healthy choices, watched cooking demos, and received recipes and kitchen tools. They also received gift cards that were reloaded each month to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables at participating Balls grocery stores.

Participants had their blood pressure and hemoglobin A1C (blood sugar) tested at the end of the program to determine if the “produce prescription” had improved their baseline measurements. Of the participants who were tested, 71% showed a reduction in their A1C levels. 80% showed a reduction in their systolic blood pressure, while 50% showed a reduction in their diastolic blood pressure. They also expressed more confidence about cooking healthy meals and reported an overall increase in their consumption of fruits and vegetables.

One participant said, “I’ve learned how to look for new fruits but also new veggies like squash. I learned new recipes and ways to preserve fresh foods. I think this program has taught me how to live healthier and find resources for meals.”

A second session of KC Fresh Rx begins in April 2024. The program is offered in partnership with AdventHealth Medical Clinic, the University of Kansas Medical Center Geriatric and General Medicine Clinic, Samuel U. Rodgers Health Clinic and MARC. The University of Kansas Medical Center also provides nutrition education and evaluation services. The program is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.