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A chef performs a cooking demonstration for a large group

Chef Eric Meredith talks to participants about preparing healthy and nutritious meals during a cooking demonstration at the Blue Door Neighborhood Center in Morgan Park.

Providing Produce and Education to Help Improve Health Outcomes

Every week, Kenneth Ray and his wife look forward to picking up a box of fresh produce at the Blue Door Neighborhood Center in Chicago’s Morgan Park area on the South side.

Since joining a Food as Medicine initiative through Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, Ray and his wife, both cancer survivors, have committed to eating healthier by finding new recipes and learning to prepare the fruits and vegetables they receive. They also try to attend cooking demonstrations that are part of the program.

Ray, 63, says the program has helped increase the couple’s energy levels, improved their health and made food preparation more enjoyable.

“Going through my procedure with cancer, I found out how much food might affect the cause of it,” says Ray, who learned to make ratatouille with the eggplant, zucchini and red bell pepper he received at a recent cooking demonstration. “So, by eating straight up fruits and vegetables and finding another way of making things, cooking has become more fun for us.”

The initiative is among the ways BCBSIL is trying to improve the lives of more than 87,000 Medicaid members whose struggles with non-medical issues such as food insecurity and lack of access to fresh produce can lead to poorer health outcomes. BCBSIL has provided $3 million to several community-based organizations to increase access to healthy foods and nutrition education, while improving health outcomes for members with diabetes, hypertension and obesity.

The company started its Food as Medicine programs in the Chicago area after member health assessments revealed food insecurity could be contributing to the chronic medical conditions many residents struggle to manage.

“We know that in certain ZIP codes we have highest disparities and highest need,” says Suzanne Letang, population health clinical strategy manager for BCBSIL. “This program really aligned with us and our Blue Door Neighborhood Center for us to be able to link members not only into a food produce program but also be linked to other community programs to address other health conditions and social needs of participants.”

Chronic diseases are the leading cause of death and disability in the United States, and poor diets are linked to conditions, including heart disease, cancer and Type 2 diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Nationwide, only 10% of Americans eat enough vegetables, and just 12% eat enough fruit. Illinois is not much better off, with close to 9% of residents eating enough vegetables and13% eating enough fruit, the CDC found.

With its investments, BCBSIL has helped distribute more than 60,000 food boxes to hundreds of people and their families since 2023. Besides receiving fresh produce, members also have access to nutrition education, dietitians and cooking demonstrations to help them learn to eat healthier.

“You just can’t give people a box of food and expect them to know what to do with it,” Letang says. “They need to have the skills and education to know how to prepare it.”

BCBSIL recently launched food delivery programs to help members in Kankakee and Kane counties outside of Chicago.

“People are telling us they're more confident in knowing what to eat to help have a healthier lifestyle,” Letang says. “People are sharing they're losing weight after receiving this produce and learning how to juice, how to cook with the food. People are sharing they are feeling the relief of financial strain because they are able to receive this box and then reallocate funds to other parts of their household budget.”

Nutrition education through engagement

More than 80 people, including Ray, filled every seat in the community room at Morgan Park’s Blue Door center to watch chef Eric Meredith’s ratatouille cooking demonstration.

Using plastic cutting boards and knives, everyone followed along as Meredith offered instruction on proper vegetable preparation techniques. Meredith, a registered dietitian and nutritionist as well, led the group in discussion about the nutritional values of the vegetables they prepared.

“Getting them engaged as much as possible helps with the education,” Meredith says of his demonstration methods. “I want them to put their hands on the produce.”

The popularity of his demonstrations and participant connections makes him feel good about the work he’s doing to help his community become healthier. Meredith appreciates the opportunity to help people like the Rays, who spent their 33rd wedding anniversary at one of his demonstrations.

“They have gone through some things, and their participation is a testament to them prioritizing their health,” Meredith says.



Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, a Division of Health Care Service Corporation, a Mutual Legal Reserve Company, an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association