Fresh funds for moms: feasibility of a 12-week online food as medicine grocery prescription program for women with food insecurity and gestational diabetes

Top Things to Know

By providing condition-specific food benefits and behavioral nudges, this program demonstrated how digital FIM tools can support chronic disease management during pregnancy.

Implementation infrastructure (i.e., integrated clinical workflows and automated systems) is critical for success.

The combination of curated food options, financial support, and motivational messaging enabled participants to make healthier choices while maintaining autonomy.

Summary of Conclusion/Findings

The “Fresh Funds for Moms” pilot study evaluated the feasibility of a 12-week online medically tailored grocery prescription (MTG) program for pregnant women with food insecurity and gestational diabetes or related conditions. Participants received $200/month to purchase healthy foods via an online grocery platform, with behavioral nudges delivered through text messages. Of the 1,163 women screened, 14 completed the program, redeeming 96% of their benefits and showing increased purchases of fruits and vegetables (+4%) and decreased spending on meat (−10%) over time. Slight improvements were observed in blood glucose and blood pressure, though no significant changes in hemoglobin A1c were noted. Participants reported high satisfaction but faced some challenges with the online platform and desired more food variety. The study demonstrated that online MTG programs are feasible and may support healthier food purchasing behaviors during pregnancy, though larger studies are needed to assess clinical outcomes and scalability.