A new study suggests that delivering medically tailored groceries to people with type 2 diabetes who face food insecurity may help improve blood sugar control. The research, conducted in Northwest Arkansas and published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, evaluated a 12-week program that provided diabetes-appropriate groceries along with self-management education in English, Spanish or Marshallese.
Participants receiving the weekly grocery boxes saw their average HbA1c drop by 0.56 percentage points. Even modest changes in HbA1c can lower the risk of diabetes complications over time, making this a clinically meaningful improvement.
“This study demonstrates the potential for home-delivered, medically tailored groceries to make measurable improvements in diabetes management for people experiencing food insecurity and facing transportation barriers,” said lead author Eliza Short, PhD, RDN. She added that, “For many people with type 2 diabetes, reliable access to healthy food is not just a convenience — it’s essential health care.”
Nearly all participants, 97%, received the full set of grocery deliveries because the program removed transportation barriers and used culturally relevant, in-language materials. Diet quality did not shift significantly during the study period, but blood sugar still improved, suggesting that consistent access to appropriate foods may support diabetes management even without major dietary changes.
The study adds to growing evidence supporting Food Is Medicine programs, which link nutrition access directly to chronic disease care. The authors note that future work should explore which parts of these programs (food delivery, education or both) play the largest role in improving health outcomes.
As interest in nutrition-based approaches to chronic disease grows, this research highlights how addressing food insecurity may help support diabetes care in communities facing the greatest barriers.
This research was supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture and by the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Translational Research Institute, funded by the National Institutes of Health.