The ‘Big Bet’ Changing How America Eats

Herman Johnson never imagined that something as simple as fruits and vegetables could change his life. A retired Army veteran from Houston, Texas, Johnson had struggled with weight issues for years, tipping the scales at over 300 pounds. His diet— like that of so many army veterans— was heavy on processed foods and light on fresh produce. But under a new pilot backed by the Rockefeller Foundation, he has become one of the first beneficiaries of a big bet that Food is Medicine (FIM) can redefine healthcare as we currently know it.

The numbers are staggering: 90% of the $4.3 trillion America spends on healthcare goes to chronic diseases— many fueled by poor diets— that disproportionately impact vulnerable groups such as people of color, low-income households, rural communities, seniors, and veterans. Every year, 500,000 people die from diet-related conditions, driving $1.1 trillion in healthcare costs— the same amount the country spends on food.

For America’s 19 million veterans, and the 9 million being treated by the Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA) who are disproportionately affected by heart disease, diabetes and obesity, FIM programs have the power to improve health, lower costs, and change lives. And The Rockefeller Foundation is betting big that FIM can do the same for all Americans— starting with veterans like Herman Johnson.

Dr. Rajiv Shah, President of The Rockefeller Foundation and author of Big Bets: How Large-Scale Change Really Happens, sees FIM as one of the biggest bets in public health today. “A big bet could help ensure that good, nutritious food that is its own form of medicine is affordable and available to massively reduce the burden of common chronic illnesses,” he writes. In his book, Shah advocates for bold, high-impact strategies— setting ambitious goals, taking decisive action, and forging unexpected alliances to drive real change. Food is Medicine embodies this very approach.

With bipartisan support, FIM is transforming healthcare from reactive to proactive, using nutrition as a powerful form of prevention— much like vaccines revolutionized public health.

A Big Bet on Food Is Medicine

Johnson’s story is at the heart of what The Rockefeller Foundation is betting on: that food can be as powerful as medicine in preventing and managing chronic diseases and food insecurity. The Foundation has committed over $100 million to Food is Medicine programs since 2019, funding research, pilot programs, and policy initiatives to integrate nutrition-based healthcare solutions into the U.S. health system.

“We’ve supported different food is medicine projects in different parts of the country over the last six years or so,” says Devon Klatell, Vice President of the Food Initiative at The Rockefeller Foundation. “We have supported some community-based organizations, and nonprofits. From a research perspective, we made a significant investment a couple of years ago in Health Care by Food, which is an initiative within the American Heart Association.”

The most recent Rockefeller investment builds upon a partnership signed in 2024 with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to promote the adoption of Food is Medicine in health systems, and expands its 2023 collaboration with the VA through new pilot projects at key Veterans Health Administration (VHA) facilities across the country.

“These five pilot projects that we’re now doing with the with the veterans in five states are the first that we know about that have been implemented within the VHA system, which is part of why they’re really exciting,” says Klatell of new programs in New York, Maryland and North Carolina, that build on lessons learned in Utah and Texas.

For veterans like Herman Johnson, that bet is already paying off. He is part of a growing movement of former service members who are reclaiming their health with fresh produce instead of new prescriptions.

Veterans: The Perfect Use Case for Food is Medicine

For Herman Johnson, everything changed when he made the switch to a plant-based diet— what he refers to as a mission to “stop eating the cow and start eating what the cow was eating.” In 2023, he joined a FIM program at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center in Houston, Texas. Through the Fresh Connect pilot program— a partnership between the nonprofit About Fresh and The Rockefeller Foundation— Johnson received a $100 monthly debit card to buy fresh fruits and vegetables.

The program has already enrolled 554 veterans, with 97-98% activation rates, surpassing expectations, according to Adam Shyevitch, Chief Program Officer at About Fresh. It also offers nutrition counseling to help veterans make long-term dietary changes, through VA healthcare facilities and the VHA’s Healthy Teaching Kitchen.

Once enrolled in the FIM program, Johnson began experimenting with his diet— switching from soul food to plant-based meals, and even began juicing. “I eat the beet, the stem, and the leaf,” he laughs. The transformation was almost immediate. He lost 50 pounds, lowered his blood pressure, and cut his medication in half.

“I gained a whole new perspective on eating,” he says. “Food is medicine. I want to reverse all my medicine.”

Veterans face some of the highest rates of food insecurity and diet-related chronic diseases.