Recipe4Health is a program in Alameda County, California, that provided free, weekly deliveries of locally grown produce to adults who received health care at one local Federally Qualified Health Center. For 16 weeks, participants received free home delivery of approximately 16 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables. The health centers are federally funded, nonprofit facilities providing health care to people in communities that are medically underserved.
Researchers surveyed participants about their diet, physical activity and their level of food insecurity before and after the 16-week program of free produce delivery. To assess food insecurity, the questions included, for example, how often they run out of food and how often they lack money to buy more food.
Analysis of the participants' survey responses found that at the end of the 16-week free produce program, they had:
Increased their fruit and vegetable consumption by almost ½ of a serving per day;
increased their physical activity by almost 42 minutes per week; and
less food insecurity – decreasing from 59% reporting food insecurity at enrollment to 48% after the 16-week program ended.
Source: Medical News Today