SACRAMENTO, California. – People with diabetes in Northern California have the opportunity to receive free healthy foods through the Healthy Food Rx program.
Healthy Food Rx is a twice-monthly program that provides healthy meals to people in the city of Stockton who have diabetes but cannot afford a healthy diet.
Why is it important to eat healthily with diabetes?
“Food is medicine,” says the Stockton Food Bank, where a new program is helping people with diabetes eat better.
In this northern California city alone, 60% of residents have diabetes or are prediabetic, according to a private study.
“Many people don’t have access to healthy food or money and can’t buy natural products,” laments Viviana Rojas, nutritionist at Stockton Food Bank.
“A lot of people have benefited because eating healthy has lowered their sugar levels,” he said.
How does the Healthy Food Rx program help?
People who are beneficiaries of the Healthy Food Rx program receive a box of healthy foods twice a month.
The box contains nutritious foods such as:
- Pollo
- egg
- fruit
- Vegetables
- rice
Each box contains basic foodstuffs, but also new products so that diabetics can cook with more variety.
In addition to groceries, Rojas offers online healthy cooking courses for people with diabetes, teaching them how to use the products they get at the food bank.
How do I enroll in the Healthy Food Rx healthy eating program?
The Stockton Food Band has 1,000 seats for people who need access to healthy food.
To be eligible to participate, all you need is:
- Live in San Joaquin County
- Have a chronic disease such as diabetes
To register, you must call (209) 464-7369.
The program is completely free and registration is open until the end of 2023.
