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Healthy Food First Trial Provides Clinical Evidence on how Different Food Delivery Models Can Reduce Food Insecurity and Improve Health Outcomes

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The Sheps Center is proud to announce that results from the Healthy Food First trial were recently published in JAMA Internal Medicine (October 2025). This study, funded by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina and conducted in collaboration with UNC Health and UNC’s Schools of Medicine and Public Health, provides clinical evidence on how different food delivery models can reduce food insecurity and improve health outcomes—specifically blood pressure—among North Carolinians. Healthy Food First is a prime example of the Sheps Center’s mission to advance evidence-based solutions to pressing health challenges.

Let by Drs. Seth Berkowitz, Darren DeWalt, and Alice Ammerman, the study evaluated two interventions for individuals experiencing food insecurity and hypertension: a monthly $40 food subsidy and biweekly delivery of pre-selected healthy food boxes. Both approaches led to reductions in blood pressure, but the subsidy group showed greater improvement, highlighting the value of empowering individuals to choose their own nutritious foods.

The trial enrolled approximately 450 participants and incorporated lifestyle counseling and community health worker support. It demonstrated that flexible, patient-centered food assistance can be more effective than standardized food packages, with implications for future public health policy and clinical practice.

Read more about the Health Food First trial in this UNC Health press release.