Bay Area Community Health’s Recipe4Health
Blog Contribution: Bay Area Community Health
There are approximately 200,000 Alameda County residents that live below the federal poverty rate, therefore being the highest percentage of people living in poverty in the Bay Area. Consequently, low-income families, including children, may face high levels of stress and poor mental health (e.g. anxiety, depression) due to the financial and emotional pressures of food insecurity. Often, healthy food, particularly fresh produce, is not readily available in low-income communities in Alameda County.
Interventions such as Recipe4Health help people add healthy foods into their daily lives – Trushna Nagindas
Bay Area Community Health in partnership with Alameda County Health Care Services Agency’s Recipe4Health program aims to improve the health of patients and the community experiencing food insecurity, social isolation, and/or chronic disease.
The Recipe4Health model has three “ingredients;” a Food Farmacy, a Behavioral Pharmacy, and Food as Medicine training. A Food Farmacy produce prescription provides deliveries of organic produce. Food Farmacy is complimented with other services such as CalFresh / healthcare enrollment, health education, and wellness screenings. Individual and group health coaching through Behavioral Pharmacy. Food as Medicine includes medically tailored meals, medically tailored groceries, and produce “prescription”.
“Some people don’t have the information they need to choose healthy foods. Others don’t have access to healthy foods or can’t afford to buy enough food. Strategies and interventions such as Recipe4Health help people add healthy foods into their daily lives to help reduce their risk of chronic diseases and improve their overall health” says Trushna Nagindas, Sr. Manager Patient Wellness Program at Bay Area Community Health
Bay Area Community Health and Recipe4Health increases access to affordable, nutrient-rich food and provides ongoing support to improve overall health and wellbeing of communities. In 2022, Bay Area Community Health served: 
You can learn more about Bay Area Community Health HERE.