What is the Food Prescriptions Study?
With so much going on throughout the day, finding the time to plan, shop, prepare, and eat healthy and delicious meals is often a big challenge. Kaiser Permanente is working on a plan to reduce the burden people face in shopping for groceries and preparing not only healthy, but also tasty meals for themselves and their families. Our team of physicians, licensed dieticians, and research scientists have developed weekly meal plans that are nutritious, sustainable, and affordable. We hope to learn whether increasing the convenience of a healthy diet by providing a meal plan and groceries will support weight management and improve the quality of our members’ diet and health. This research study is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
To learn more about the project, you can watch a 30-minute video showing one family’s experience with the study and the impact on their health and diet. Just click on the video image below.
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Am I eligible to participate in the Food Prescriptions Study?
Participants must be:
- Kaiser Permanente members
- 18 years or older
- Interested in losing weight
- Have at least 1 child between the ages of 3 and 17 living in the household
What will happen during the study?
Participation in the study is 12-months and completely voluntary. If you are eligible and agree to participate in the study, you and your family will be randomly assigned (like flipping a coin) to Group 1 or Group 2 (see details below):
The research team will provide meal plans and recipes and deliver the groceries to your home every week during the 6-month intervention period. If you are assigned to Group 1, you will receive recommended meal plans and have groceries delivered to your home during the first 6 months of the study (months 1–6). If you are assigned to Group 2, you will receive the prescribed meal plans and the associated groceries during the last 6 months of the study (months 7–12).
Weekly meal plans
Our meal plans were designed by a licensed dietitian and average 1,500 calories per day to support weight loss for an average adult. The meal plans meet national dietary recommendations by providing at least 90% of the critical nutrients needed for optimal health. In addition, they are designed to meet sustainability guidelines, and thus limit meat and dairy to reduce our carbon footprint. However, because some members of your family need more or less than 1,500 calories per day, meal plans and recipes will be customized to your household and will account for everyone’s age, height, weight, activity level, and weight management needs.
Examples of meal plans are shown below.
Helpful tools
The videos below (courtesy of Kaiser Permanente San Francisco) will help you as you prepare your meals. We’ll add more videos soon.
How much does it cost to participate?
The cost of the groceries is calculated based on your family size, generally between $110 and $190 per week. The actual cost of the groceries is higher, so we subsidize part of the cost. Your projected average costs will be about $1.80 per serving or less than $40 per person per week. The actual cost of the groceries delivered will likely be closer to the maximum allotment of USDA SNAP (food stamp) benefits per week.
| Family size |
USDA SNAP maximum allotment for groceries/week | FOOD Rx cost of groceries/week |
| 3 | $172.67 | $110 |
| 4 | $219.10 | $150 |
| 5 | $260.40 | $190 |
Frequently asked questions
Will I be paid if I participate in the study?
You will not be paid for participating in this study, but we are subsidizing the groceries you will receive, and we are also providing an incentive for your household members to complete the dietary recalls during the 6-month period in which you are not receiving subsidized groceries. We expect you and your family members to also provide dietary recalls once per month when you are receiving the subsidized groceries (about $240 grocery subsidy per 4 weeks).
– If you are assigned to Group 1, we will provide you with a $50 gift card per household per month for completing monthly 24-hour dietary recalls during months 7 through 12 of the study. You will receive a total of 6 $50 gift cards ($300) for completing all monthly dietary recalls.
– If you are assigned to Group 2, we will provide you with $50 gift card per household per month for completing monthly 24-hour dietary recalls during months 1-6 of the study. You will receive a total of 6 $50 gift cards ($300) for completing monthly dietary recalls.
Will I be required to pay for groceries?
– If your household size is 3 people, you will be responsible for paying up to $110 per week for groceries delivered to you during the 6-month food prescription intervention period, even though the actual cost of the groceries will be higher.
– If your household size is 4 people, you will be responsible for paying up to $150 per week for groceries delivered to you during the 6-month food prescription intervention period, even though the actual cost of the groceries will be higher.
– If your household size is 5 people, you will be responsible for paying up to $190 per week for groceries delivered to you during the 6-month food prescription intervention period, even though the actual cost of the groceries will be higher.
Will I be required to pay weekly?
Yes. The research team will collect the payment each week before grocery delivery during the 6-month intervention period. Payments will be made online using a Kaiser Permanente-approved electronic payment method.
What does the weekly payment cover?
The weekly payment will cover the cost of food for all members of your household, grocery delivery to your home, customized weekly meal plans, and recipes.
What nutritional guidelines will the meals follow?
The menu plan is in line with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Dietary guidelines.
How many calories will I be allowed to eat per day?
The meal plans will be customized to account for each household member’s BMI, age, gender and activity level. The meal plan for adults interested in losing weight will be 1500 calories per day.
How many meals are included on the menu per day?
The meal plan includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, and one snack per day.
Do I have to cook and prepare the meals?
We are providing mostly unprocessed foods that will need to be prepared at home. Along with the groceries we will provide instructions on how to handle and store foods as well as detailed recipes and a suggested schedule. Our meals have a great variety of recipes and are simple to follow. We have limited the cooking and preparation time and suggest eating leftovers for several meals.
Do I have to follow the meal plan exactly?
No, you may use your own recipes, but the recipes we provide will account for all the groceries that we deliver to you. We may substitute some ingredients if the items in the recipes are not available.
When will you deliver the groceries?
We will deliver the groceries to your home on a specified day during the week.
Do I need to be at home to receive my delivery?
Yes, you or another member of your household will need to be present to receive deliveries. We will contact you a day before the delivery to confirm time and your availability.
Where do you source your groceries from?
We source from several outlets. Our primary source is the Super King Market, which offers good quality and seasonal variety of fruits, vegetables, fish, and meats.
Can I quit the study at any time?
Yes, you can decide to quit the study any time. Your participation is completely voluntary.
Who is funding the study?
This study is being funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
What if I have questions?
Please reach out to us at foodrx@kp.org call us toll free at 1-844-752-5250.