New Parents Get Food-Delivery Surprise

Food is the Best Medicine

Inten Utari and her daughter, Nadia, are part of a pilot program at Ascension Seton Medical Center called Food is the Best Medicine. The program provides new mothers with food boxes and ready-to-eat meals, addressing food insecurity and the increased need for nutrient-rich foods during breastfeeding.

"It has really helped us...I don't know what we would have done." Inten Utari

Utari, from Bali, and her husband, from New Hampshire, have no local family, and her husband "isn't the best cook." The program has provided them with essential support, reducing their stress during a challenging time.

The program, funded by the Ascension Seton Foundation and supported by local organizations, has helped 78 new mothers in Austin, a city where 14.4% experienced food insecurity in 2021. Dr. Ryan Lowery, a pediatrician, emphasizes the need for collaboration between healthcare and community organizations to address the drivers of health, including food access, housing, and transportation.

"Food is the Best Medicine speaks to the collaboration...between a health care system and a not-for-profit organization..." Dr. Ryan Lowery

The program's research component will study the impact on breastfeeding rates, mental health, and physical health, as well as food security after the program ends. Consultants hope to expand the program to more hospitals and increase the duration of support.

Links:

• Farmshare Austin
• Cook's Nook
• Support Seton: Women First
• 2022 State of the Food System Report, Austin Office of Sustainability