GENESEE CO., N.Y. — Genesee County patients may soon receive their first prescription for fruits and vegetables. Rochester Regional UMMC’s Healthy Living and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Erie and Genesee Counties (CCE) are launching an innovative program designed to empower individuals and families to make healthier food choices. The Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program, commonly referred to as FVRx, aims to bridge the gap between medical care and nutrition, recognizing the critical role of diet in overall health.
About FVRx
Across the country, emerging evidence suggests that “prescribing” produce results in increased consumption of fruits and vegetables, which has bountiful benefits to overall health. FVRx works to address the critical issue of food insecurity while promoting the consumption of nutrient-rich produce. Healthy Living staff will identify patients who would benefit most from the program – particularly individuals at risk of developing diet-related diseases, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or pre-diabetes and those who are food insecure and struggle to purchase healthy foods for their families. SNAP-Ed, a nutrition and healthy lifestyle program with Cornell Cooperative Extension, will then offer a series of group nutrition sessions where each participant will receive $20 in vouchers for fruits and vegetables at each session – a total of up to $80. The classes will focus on linking participants to community food resources as well as offering nutrition education, cooking and meal preparation strategies, and will even include window gardening information.
Laurie Ferrando, Healthy Living’s Project Manager explains the origin of the program: “Historically, Healthy Living has provided individual nutrition support, and we will continue to provide this service however, we recently identified an additional community need through increased interest from our residents to offer nutrition education through interactive and engaging group instruction. People are expressing the importance of living a healthier lifestyle and want to learn more to assist them on this journey. Staff from Healthy Living and Cornell Cooperative Extension met to discuss the curriculum and review ways we could work in partnership to meet this need. The process has been wonderful, and we are excited about the future of this program.”
The first series for September and October quickly met capacity but there are opportunities to join classes in November and throughout the New Year. Providers can refer their patients who may benefit from a nutrition program and interested community members can self-register by calling Healthy Living at 585-344-5331.
About SNAP-Ed
Cornell Cooperative Extension uses local experience and research-supported solutions to build stronger communities. SNAP-Ed NY is a statewide program that teaches people how to shop for and cook healthy meals on a limited budget. Interested in learning more about SNAP-Ed NY? Call 716.822.2288 or email [email protected]. You can also find recipes and tips to save time, money, and eat healthy at www.snapedny.org.
–Cornell Cooperative Extension Erie and Genesee Counties
