Community Servings' AMPL Institute Releases National Food is Medicine Report on Access to Medically Tailored Nutrition in the U.S.

Recapping an eventful year in Food is Medicine research and policy and looking ahead to the future, the nonprofit sees positive momentum but also challenges to access.

BOSTON, May 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The AMPL Institute at Community Servings has released its second annual publication, "A View of the Field: The Landscape of Medically Tailored Nutrition in 2026," a new national Food is Medicine report on access to medically tailored nutrition in the U.S.

Recent research on medically tailored meals demonstrates reductions in acute healthcare use and healthcare costs, the nonprofit reports. The MAHA goal of reducing rates of diet-related chronic disease through healthy diet continues to present the potential for new federal policy opportunities, including the integration of medically tailored nutrition offered as a covered benefit through Medicare and Medicaid.

However, "A View of the Field: The Landscape of Medically Tailored Nutrition in 2026," also warns that federal policy headwinds may pose challenges for community-based nonprofits like Community Servings. Furthermore, pervasive economic uncertainty may threaten funding and, consequently, the integration of nutrition within the healthcare system — a key objective of Food is Medicine organizations.

Medically tailored meals (MTM), a targeted and evidence-based Food is Medicine intervention, are strongly associated with improvements in dietary quality and health outcomes, as well as reductions in healthcare utilization and costs. A 2025 research study estimated that a national rollout of medically tailored meals coverage among people with diet-related diseases and activities of daily living limitations could avert over 2.61 million hospitalizations and save $23.7 billion across all payers each year.

The 2026 "A View of the Field" features the perspectives of Food is Medicine experts from Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, the Center for Health Law and Policy Innovation of Harvard Law School, the Food is Medicine Coalition, Boston Medical Center Health System, and the leaders of nonprofit MTM providers in Georgia, Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, and Oregon.

The full report, "A View of the Field: The Landscape of Medically Tailored Nutrition in 2026," examines Food is Medicine policy trends, access to medically tailored meals, and the future of nutrition in healthcare in the United States, and is available for free download at https://www.servings.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/AMPL-Report-2026.pdf 

"New research has demonstrated that Food is Medicine interventions funded through Medicaid reduce acute healthcare use and healthcare costs, and lawmakers across the country have introduced and passed state legislation to create access to medically tailored meals," said David B. Waters, CEO of Community Servings. "Food is Medicine not only remains a bipartisan policy issue; it's an area of enduring common ground and growing popularity. Now is the time to stay engaged."

Community Servings launched the AMPL Institute in April 2025 to advance access to medically tailored nutrition through research, policy advocacy, and provider education, including a Culinary Medicine program, which was recently reported on by The New York Times. The mission of the AMPL Institute is to transform the healthcare system, so that medically tailored nutrition becomes a universally accessible standard of comprehensive, person-centered care. 

The planning and development stages of the AMPL Institute, including the creation of a comprehensive inaugural report on the Food is Medicine field, were generously funded by Takeda, as part of its ongoing commitment to support community-based partners and drive equitable access to long-term community health in Massachusetts and throughout the U.S. Learn more about the AMPL Institute's research, policy, and provider education work at https://www.servings.org/ampl-home/.

About Community Servings
Founded in 1990, Community Servings' mission is to actively engage the community to provide medically tailored, nutritious, scratch-made meals to chronically and critically ill individuals and their families. We commit, in all our programs and business practices, to prioritize racial and economic justice and health equity. Our kitchen team, with support from thousands of volunteers, prepares 1.2 million medically tailored meals annually for about 8,000 clients. Community Servings is accredited by the Food is Medicine Coalition. For more information about programs and opportunities to volunteer or donate, please visit www.servings.org. 

SOURCE Community Servings