Food scripts back on the menu?

Back when I was training in nutrition many moons ago, we were taught to provide personalized recommendations based on foods that would be relevant, culturally specific and also beneficial to health. We would create a list of foods to eat and buy (a Food script) and send clients/patients on their way with a 3-day sample meal plan, of course hoping that they would follow it religiously.Technology has simplified many of the processes that were part of the workflow, which means that more time can be spent on coaching and recommending available services that can be part of a health journey. In this article we dive into the evolution of Food scripts, why they work and the future outlook

 When Food scripts became unfashionable

Over the years the “prescriptive” method went out of fashion as meal plans were time consuming to create, so the onus was really placed on the client to figure out which products to buy once they were in their real-life setting. From the practitioner perspective it was all about “choice” and “freedom” and our role was to guide, not to prescribe. There was no consumer at the center approach then.

How AI made Food scripts easy, convenient and fashionable

Over the last decade with the advent of AI, machine learning and generally technology, it has made matching individual preferences taste, health goals, clinical conditions to food databases possible in a matter of seconds.

Not only can you prescribe a list of recommended meals and recipes, you can put the ingredient list into your shopping basket and have it delivered to your home within an hour. It has meant that food scripts have returned to the menu, and consumers are certainly not complaining, knowing exactly what to eat and what to buy in the portions they need.

A Food script is essentially a prescription for food or nutrition, given by a healthcare professional such as a Dietitian or medical Dr. This food script is tailored to an individual’s medical or nutritional needs.

It provides a formal recommendation or directive for specific food, meal patterns or dietary interventions, much like a doctor would prescribe medication.

The intersection of Food, Health and Agri-tech

The evolution in the industry did not end there. We have seen these algorithms being able to match surplus food with people who need them, meal kits designed for people with specific conditions to be delivered at their home and reimbursed, and now also having the evidence that medically tailored meals lead to a positive ROI in terms of health care expenditure.

Consumers are clearly confused about the sheer volume of misinformation that is spread and shared online (the downside of AI), however it brings back the question on whether Food scripts are back and can be now used as a tool to connect Food, Health, Agri-sector and tech to impact public health. Food scripts have the potential to reduce the burden on the end-user, it can re-educate individuals on what real portion sizes should look like and it can also introduce them to new foods and flavours.

 

Examples of current Food script initiatives

There are an increasing number of initiatives and examples that bring Food scripts to life:

• The Portfolio diet is a diet that can be prescribed to reduce the risk of heart disease and reduce cholesterol. It specifies which foods to consume and how often

• Pharmacies are starting to fulfill scripts for medicine and fresh food delivery

• Meal kit companies are developing tasty meal plans designed for individuals with specific conditions or for recovery such as during cancer treatment, during pregnancy or living with Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Market overview

There are already a number examples of companies that make Food scripts possible. This usually involves the combination of a healthcare professional such as a dietitian, Dr or pharmacist, a technology platform (recipes or telehealth) and a solution provider (meal kit or meal delivery). This means that domain expertise is matched with the health needs of an individual with technology leveraged as a tool.

Eatlove is an AI powered meal planning and recipe platform that can generate personalized recipes, meals plans and a shopping list that integrates with Amazon Prime which means the ingredients can be delivered in an hour. Dietitians can create food scripts on the platform which can be fulfilled by Amazon Prime

Season Health is a telehealth company that provides access to registered dietitians for lifestyle and medical nutrition support. The platform integrates with Instacart which can deliver the prescribed recipes and meal plans

Farmbox Rx delivers fresh produce based on chronic condition to individuals

Trifecta is a meal delivery company that provides ready-to eat meals based on the needs of individuals with chronic conditions.

Instacart Health is an online grocery platform that provides access to foods tailored to the management of chronic diseases

The business case for Medical nutrition scripts

To date, delivering medically tailored meals have demonstrated a positive ROI with great consumer acceptance, reduced visits to the emergency rooms, improved diabetes management as well as improved Quality of life

Why does it work so well in my view?
🍉 Reduces the barriers of accessing fresh produce especially when living in food deserts
🍉 Reduces the stress of having to constantly think "What can I eat for dinner?"
🍉 It helps to inspire and educate individuals on what healthy and tasty and portion size should look like in an "oversize-me" world
🍉 It could increase levels of self-efficacy so patients rely less on their coach for answering questions like "Am I allowed to eat this?"

A recent survey conducted by the Rockefeller institute (May 2025) showed similar results. 60% felt better on a FaM prescription program, 55% felt more in control of their health and 38% had better health measures (BP & A1C)

This means that the business case for using a food script approach is strong and a viable way of closing the gap in health inequality.

Gaps and Challenges

In order for a food script service to work, it requires the coordination and participation of many players. Fresh food as a key cornerstone of food scripts requires careful consideration of the the food chain such as food safety, storage, preparation, quality, cost and of course preparation whether it is a meal kit, or ready to eat. The high cost and complexity of setting up such as service is also perhaps why so many companies struggle.

Another topic that comes up frequently is accessibility especially in food desert areas. How can food be delivered safely when there are not even stores or healthcare facilities around?

However, the tide is turning and I remain optimistic that we can get to a point where farmers, academia, healthcare providers and pharmacists find way to serve clients and patients better.

We also need more research to better understand the direct and indirect impact of access to food has on social determinants.

What is the future of Personalized health?

At this point, the lines between the industries are increasingly blurred with a new industry emerging. This means that moving forward, we will see more collaboration between Food, Agro, Tech and health leveraged by AI. Perhaps Pharma will jump in too? with consumers voting with their feet and wallets, the demand for fresh food, transparency in the food chain as well as food with functional benefits will only increase.

My Name is Mariette Abrahams, CEO & Founder of Qina, Thought-leader in Personalized nutrition, health & wellness, Speaker and Entrepreneur. To learn more about how we help companies create better products through science, data and research, get in touch.