Food as Health

Food as Health—one of the four interconnected pillars that serve as the foundation for Memorial Hermann Community Benefit Corporation’s work—addresses food insecurity, food access and offers nutritional knowledge and education.

Across Greater Houston, 38% of our neighbors live in a food desert (43% of Harris County residents), meaning they do not have access to healthy, nutritious food within one-half mile of their homes. These families must weigh the costs of traveling to buy healthy food further away from homes or purchasing accessible, likely less nourishing food nearby.

Inadequate access to healthy food and lack of nutritional knowledge can have a direct link to obesity and chronic diseases for individuals of all ages and can negatively affect children’s and adolescents’ behavioral health and academic performance. Memorial Hermann’s Food as Health programs aim to bridge the gap between food access, nutritional awareness and culturally sensitive dietary education.