A Tufts University Institute
Poor diet drives our costliest diseases. Food is the proven response.
The Food is Medicine Institute builds the evidence, tools, and expertise that make nutrition a core part of health care — and puts it in the hands of the leaders who can act on it.
Pathways
Find what you came for — in two clicks.
For Healthcare Leaders
Food is medicine programs are cost-effective, clinically proven, and feasible to implement. See the outcomes data, real-world program examples, and the tools to bring them to your system.
For Policymakers
FIMI is the nonpartisan academic authority on food is medicine — rigorous, applicable, and ready to cite. Access policy-ready briefs, testimony, and the research behind the legislation.
The Impact
The case for food is medicine, in numbers.
$24B
Saved annually if all eligible patients received medically tailored meals
FIMI research
20%
Of hospitalizations averted for adults on medically tailored meals for six months
FIMI research
121,000
Cardiovascular events produce prescriptions could prevent over 10 years
FIMI research
600+
Scientific studies authored by our director, Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian
Peer-reviewed
Why we exist
A world where nutritious food is recognized as a fundamental part of health care.
Food is medicine is the practice of using nutritional interventions — medically tailored meals, produce prescriptions, and medically tailored groceries — as a core component of healthcare. We turn rigorous research into the evidence, tools, and expertise that health systems and policymakers need to make it real.
The opportunity
Where food is medicine moves the needle.
Modeling from FIMI research shows how nutrition interventions compare on projected national impact — the reason health systems and policymakers are paying attention.
Illustrative comparison drawn from Food is Medicine Institute research. Values shown on a normalized scale; see The Evidence for full citations. In production, charts like this are authored in the CMS and update as new research publishes.
Pathways
Six focus areas. One mission.
01 · Evidence
Clinical trials and program development that establish what works — and for whom.
02 · Practice
Preparing clinicians to deliver food is medicine in real clinical settings.
03 · Policy
Advocacy and research translation that helps policymakers act on the evidence.
04 · Convening
Cross-sector events and coalition-building that move the whole field forward.
05 · Innovation
Public implementation tools, databases, and novel research assets — like Food Compass.
06 · Business Case
Building the economic evidence that makes food is medicine investable at scale.
Bring the evidence to your work.
Whether you lead a health system or shape policy, our team can help you pilot a program, cite the research, or request a briefing.
From LinkedIn
Follow the work as it happens.
Food is Medicine Institute
Jun 18
New report: food is medicine interventions could save U.S. lives and billions of dollars. Read the findings.
214 reactions
Food is Medicine Institute
Mar 12
Join us for Food is Medicine Advocacy Day 2026 — bringing the evidence directly to Capitol Hill.
168 reactions
Food is Medicine Institute
Sep 20
Watch: highlights from the Food is Medicine National Summit, our premier cross-sector convening.
302 reactions
Demo: representative posts. The production site pulls the live LinkedIn feed into the CMS.