Food Is Fundamental: SNAP, WIC, Medicaid, and the Path to a Healthier America

There's a growing movement in Washington and across the country to reimagine the role food plays in our health. With chronic, diet-related diseases on the rise and 80% of health outcomes tied to social and environmental factors like food access, leaders across the public and private sectors are increasingly recognizing that we can't meaningfully improve public health in America without putting food at the center of the conversation. That means scaling programs that work.

Three of the most effective tools we already have are the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), and Medicaid.

Each plays a distinct but complementary role: SNAP helps millions of families afford more of the nutritious food they need to live healthier lives; WIC supports pregnant women, new mothers, and young children with targeted nutrition assistance; and Medicaid waivers and food as medicine pilot programs are beginning to treat nutritious food as a formal part of comprehensive medical care. Together, they offer a powerful foundation for improving outcomes, lowering costs, and addressing some of the most pressing health challenges facing our country.

SNAP Can Help Millions Eat Better-Especially When Grocery Shopping Online

SNAP is the country's largest and most effective anti-hunger program-and it plays an essential role in promoting nutrition and health. With over 40 million Americans-including many working families, children, seniors, and veterans-counting on SNAP, the program is not only a vital food safety net but also a public health tool. At Instacart, we've seen firsthand that SNAP helps many families put fruits, vegetables, proteins, and other staples on the table-especially when supported with nutrition education and timely behavioral nudges, which can be powered by technology.

Research by the University of Kentucky and No Kid Hungry shows that SNAP recipients who shop online purchase more fruits and vegetables-on average $5.24 more per week-without increasing their total grocery bill. The impact is even greater when families receive tailored shopping assistance (e.g. nutritional education and targeted suggestions), as they spend $6.84 each week more on fruits and vegetables, again without increasing their overall bill. The study also showed that online grocery helps families living with low incomes stay on budget (with running totals as they shop) and reduce stress and stigma (getting to the checkout counter and learning an item is ineligible).

Additional Instacart data underscores the role SNAP plays in helping many families put nutritious food on the table. Among EBT SNAP customers on our platform, some of the most common purchase categories include frozen proteins, fresh beef and poultry, cooking and baking essentials, fresh fruits, and fresh vegetables - ingredients commonly used to prepare nutritious, home-cooked meals. Notably, while snacks also land among the most common shopping categories, soda is not among the top five spending categories for SNAP purchases on Instacart.

We have seen that when families are empowered with choice and information, they make healthy choices-and that's exactly what SNAP, especially online SNAP, is enabling at scale.

WIC: A Foundational Investment in Nutrition and Health

For fifty years, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children-better known as WIC-has helped millions of families across the country access nutritious food, breastfeeding support, and nutrition education during the earliest, most formative stages of life. Today, WIC supports roughly half of all babies born in the U.S.-a testament to its enduring value as one of the nation's most impactful public health programs.

In addition to well-documented evidence showing improved health outcomes for participants during and immediately after pregnancy, and for infants and young children, WIC has proven to be a powerful nutrition intervention. Participation in WIC is associated with significantly improved intake of key nutrients like iron, vitamin C, and B vitamins-without increasing overall caloric intake-ensuring that families aren't just consuming more food, but healthier food (USDA). Research also shows that children who participate in WIC throughout their first two years of life have significantly higher Healthy Eating Index (HEI) scores-indicating better overall diet quality-compared to those with shorter or no WIC participation. These nutritional gains are critical for long-term physical and cognitive development, particularly during pregnancy and early childhood.

WIC's reach also extends to the healthcare system. Every dollar invested in prenatal WIC participation yields between $1.77 and $3.13 in Medicaid savings within the first 60 days of a child's life. More broadly, each dollar spent on WIC can return as much as $3.50 in long-term healthcare savings. In many ways, WIC was one of the country's first "food as medicine" programs-and it remains one of the most effective.

As the needs of families continue to evolve, so too must the programs that serve them. Bringing WIC online would help modernize the program for today's digital grocery experience - just as SNAP has done - expanding access and improving ease of use for busy parents. Because when public programs reflect how families actually live and shop, they become more accessible - and ultimately more effective.

Medicaid Is Paving the Way for Food as Medicine

Meanwhile, Medicaid programs across the country are pioneering new models that integrate food directly into healthcare. Known as "Food is Medicine" programs, these initiatives provide medically tailored groceries, medically tailored meals, and produce prescriptions to individuals, including those managing chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease.

These programs are emerging as effective tools to address diet-related chronic disease and to dramatically reduce health care costs. They are backed by a growing body of research showing improved outcomes, fewer hospitalizations, and meaningful cost savings to public health systems. A JAMA Network Open study found that implementing medically tailored meals nationally could prevent 1.6 million hospitalizations annually and save $13.6 billion in healthcare costs.

Another recent evaluation in Massachusetts showed that participants receiving Medicaid-funded nutrition support had 23% fewer hospitalizations and 13% fewer emergency department visits. And a report from Tufts University estimates that produce prescription programs could prevent nearly 300,000 cardiovascular events and generate $40 billion in long-term healthcare savings.

Bipartisan Momentum in Several States

Critically, these food as medicine programs are not limited to one region or political affiliation-they've been adopted in both Democratic- and Republican-led states. States like California and New York have launched initiatives focused on produce prescriptions and medically tailored meals to address health disparities and diet-related illness. At the same time, Republican-led states like Iowa and Oklahoma are also paving the way for new food is medicine programs to reduce costs and improve outcomes. This bipartisan momentum reflects a shared understanding that nutrition is a practical, cost-effective lever to improve community health and reduce strain on the healthcare system.

Many states are financing these programs through Section 1115 demonstration waivers or through "In Lieu of Services" (ILOS) provisions under Medicaid Managed Care, which allow states to provide food-based supports as substitutes for more expensive medical care. Nearly two dozen states have already adopted or proposed these waivers, and more are awaiting federal approval-pointing to a scalable, fiscally responsible path forward for integrating food into healthcare.

Meanwhile, we're seeing growing bipartisan interest in strengthening SNAP benefits at the state level, too, with several states exploring legislation to raise the minimum monthly SNAP benefit - particularly for vulnerable groups like older adults.

In New York and Minnesota, legislators have been exploring an increase in the SNAP floor from $23 to $50. Connecticut lawmakers are considering a significant boost to $95 a month. In Ohio, lawmakers are supporting measures to raise SNAP benefits for older adults to $50. And in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, proposals are advancing to increase baseline benefits for elderly and disabled recipients.

The takeaway: From Medicaid waivers to SNAP expansions, there's real consensus emerging around the idea that food is foundational to health-and that investing in nutrition through public programs can be a cost-effective, scalable way to improve lives. This growing alignment offers a unique opportunity for public and private stakeholders alike to help modernize the nation's approach to food, health, and prevention.

Our Work to Study and Scale Nutrition-Driven Care

Instacart is proud to be on the leading edge of this national shift. For example, we're working with Wellness West, a coalition of health and social service institutions serving Chicago's West Side, study the impact of nutrition interventions - with promising early returns. In 2023, 600 patients living with chronic diet-related conditions received a monthly Instacart Health Fresh Funds stipend that could be used to purchase healthy foods. The results were powerful: 49% of patients with diabetes improved their A1c levels, 59% with hypertension saw improved blood pressure, and 7% of those experiencing depression reported better mental health outcomes.

These findings underscore both the clinical potential of food as medicine and the impact of community-based interventions. In 2025, the program is expanding to reach 1,000 community members.

We're also working alongside researchers at some of the country's top academic institutions-including Duke University, Stanford University, Ohio State University, Syracuse University, the University of Kentucky, and more-to study how nutrition interventions can improve outcomes for patients facing a range of health challenges. These research collaborations are helping shape the evidence base and build scalable models that work in the real world.

By combining on-the-ground grocery access with rigorous research and innovative partnerships, we're helping states and healthcare organizations deliver food-based care with precision and scale.

A Smarter Strategy for Public Health

As the nation looks to tackle rising rates of chronic, diet-related disease, food must be part of the solution. That means fully funding and modernizing SNAP and WIC to ensure every family can access the nutritious food essentials they need. It also means scaling Food is Medicine programs, including those funded through Medicaid, that treat food not as an afterthought, but as a core part of prevention and ongoing care.

We commend those leaders across the public and private sector who have brought nationwide attention to these challenges and are advancing solutions with urgency and ambition. Their leadership is helping reshape national priorities around food and health in ways that will benefit millions.

At Instacart, we're committed to doing our part to make that future a reality-by helping families use their SNAP benefits online, by strengthening and modernizing WIC, by giving healthcare organizations the tools to launch, scale and measure the impact of food-based care, and by investing in research that proves what works. Because when people have access to the food they need to be healthy, the ripple effects are felt everywhere-from kitchen tables to emergency rooms.

There's no path to a healthier country that doesn't run through the food on our tables. Let's invest accordingly.