Get a Prescription for FRESH Fruits & Veggies!

A new pilot program in the Seattle area is literally prescribing fresh fruits and vegetables to local low-income diabetics. This program is designed to help eligible patients continue to eat healthy even after their food stamps and other resources run out.

“If you look at the rates of hospital admissions due to uncontrolled blood sugar due to diabetes,” said the President and CEO of Food Lifeline, Linda Nageotte, “more often that happens toward the end of the month when folks have run out of food.”

When the money runs out and the food disappears from the cupboards, those high-risk patients turn to cheap food options which are often unhealthy.

To prevent this, this program provides healthy produce to patients who qualify. The food selection includes apples, cabbage, onions, bell peppers and other fresh, healthy produce.

To receive the fresh produce, patients must be screened by healthcare professionals at Sea Mar Community Health Centers and prescribed the healthy items.

This program is currently in pilot and may be expanded if it’s successful.

This was first reported on King 5 News.

Nicole Thelin

Have too much month at the end of your money? Me too - and that's how Low Income Relief got started. I have over 20 years of professional research and writing experience. Over the years, I've worked as a novelist, journalist, ghostwriter and content creator. My work has been featured in various print and online publications, including USA Today, eHow.com, Livestrong.com, Legal Beagle, The Daily Herald (Provo, Utah), The Chronicle (Centralia, WA) and others. At Low Income Relief, I use my professional research and reporting experience to help low income families save money and make ends meet. It's been my full-time job since 2016, and it's truly an honor to serve you.