Food-as-medicine programs are coming to three schools in Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) this year, thanks to a partnership between Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, iHeartMedia and nonprofit Common Threads.
The programs’ curriculum will focus on educating students and parents about affordable healthy ingredients, reducing sugar intake and more. There will also be food distribution events and hands-on learning opportunities, such as cooking demonstrations, hosted throughout the year.
“It’s not enough to just distribute nutritious food, we want to make sure students and their families are equipped with the skills to make healthy meals and empowered to make informed food decisions that ultimately can improve their physical and mental health outcomes,” said Kevin LeGrett, president of iHeartMedia Sports, in a statement.
Anthem Blue Cross and its partners kicked off the programs’ launch with a produce distribution event at one of the participating schools, during which 250 families were given bags of fresh produce and groceries.