Brighter Bites launches ‘Food is Medicine’ webpage

HOUSTON, TX (March 26, 2024) – Brighter Bites, BB #:371141 a national nonprofit that delivers fresh fruits and vegetables directly into families’ hands, is excited to announce the launch of a new webpage dedicated to its “Food is Medicine” initiative in partnership with UTHealth Houston.

This new page highlights the nonprofit’s transformative work over the past several years, showcasing the powerful connection between healthy food and improved health outcomes.

The “Food is Medicine” initiative emphasizes the role of nutrition in managing chronic diseases, preventing illness, and improving overall well-being. Key features of the new webpage include visuals, personal testimonials, publications and research, and exciting highlights that detail the program’s success and impact.

“Our goal is to provide all children and their families with a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables while teaching them how to use it to reduce risk of diet-related chronic disease later in life. As part of our Food Is Medicine efforts, we will integrate provision of fresh produce and nutrition education in the health care system so healthy food can be part of preventing or managing disease, and promoting well-being,” said Shreela Sharma, PhD, RDN,  professor and vice-chair of the Department of Epidemiology at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health, and co-founder of Brighter Bites.

The “Food is Medicine” page highlights how the work that Brighter Bites does in providing participants with fresh food and nutrition education, ultimately supports the management of chronic conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and obesity. By addressing both the root causes of these conditions and the social determinants of health, the initiative has led to measurable improvements in health outcomes for countless individuals in the communities served.

“We are proud to share our ‘Food is Medicine’ initiative with our supporters and the broader community,” said Rich Dachman, Chief Executive Officer of Brighter Bites. “This initiative is at the heart of our mission to build healthier futures for families across the country. For the past several years, we’ve seen firsthand how access to fresh, nutritious food along with nutrition education can make a meaningful difference in the lives of individuals and lead to better health outcomes.”

The new webpage is live now and can be accessed at www.brighterbites.org/food-is-medicine, or follow the organization on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter or YouTube. 

About Brighter Bites:

Brighter Bites is a nonprofit that creates communities of health through fresh food with the goal of changing behavior among children and their families to prevent obesity and achieve long-term health. Brighter Bites is an evidence-based, multi-component elementary school, preschool, and summer camp program that utilizes reliable access to fruits and vegetables, nutrition education, and consistent exposure to recipes and messages that feature fresh food. Since 2012, Brighter Bites has provided over 65 million pounds of produce and millions of nutrition education materials to more than one million individuals (including teachers) in Austin, Bakersfield, Dallas, Greater Philadelphia, Houston, Las Cruces, Los Angeles, Phoenix, New York City, Salinas, San Antonio, Southwest Florida, and the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area. To learn more about Brighter Bites visit www.brighterbites.org.

About UTHealth Houston:

Founded in 1967, UTHealth Houston School of Public Health was Texas’ first public health school and remains a nationally ranked leader in graduate public health education. Since opening its doors in Houston nearly 60 years ago, the school has established five additional locations across the state, including Austin, Brownsville, Dallas, El Paso, and San Antonio. Across five academic departments — Biostatistics and Data Science; Epidemiology; Environmental & Occupational Health Sciences; Health Promotion and Behavioral Science; and Management, Policy & Community Health — students learn to collaborate, lead, and transform the field of public health through excellence in graduate education.