Food as Medicine in Canada: How a Food-First Approach Can Improve Health

Canadians are facing a growing health crisis that begins on the plate. Poor nutrition is a leading contributor to chronic diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers. According to the Canadian Institute for Health Information (2023), diet-related illnesses cost the Canadian health-care system billions of dollars every year, while nearly one in six households experiences food insecurity (Statistics Canada, 2024). Addressing these challenges requires a food-first approach that positions healthy eating as a central part of both prevention and treatment.

A growing body of research supports the idea of food as medicine in Canada. Ridberg et al. (2024) argue that whole foods—not supplements—should form the foundation of health care. Nutrients in foods work synergistically, providing benefits that isolated vitamins or pills cannot replicate. This philosophy aligns with Canada’s Food Guide, which emphasizes balanced, minimally processed meals rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and plant-based proteins (Health Canada, 2019). Importantly, the authors highlight that a food-first strategy requires structural support, including policies to improve access to nutritious foods, affordability, and cultural relevance for diverse Canadian communities.

The concept of Food Is Medicine extends this idea by integrating nutrition directly into clinical care. Ridberg et al. (2025) found that the public strongly supports programs such as medically tailored meals, produce prescriptions, and insurance-covered nutrition counselling. However, few receive consistent nutrition guidance from their health-care providers. While this study focused on the United States, similar challenges exist in Canada, where access to dietitians and nutrition education remains uneven.

Across Canada, innovative programs are already translating these ideas into practice. Ontario and British Columbia have piloted medically tailored meal programs for patients with chronic disease, while Community Food Centres Canada (2024) runs produce prescription initiatives connecting health-care providers with local food systems. Family Health Teams and Primary Care Networks increasingly include registered dietitians, helping Canadians apply nutrition advice to everyday meals (Dietitians of Canada, 2023). These programs illustrate that healthy eating is a critical part of chronic disease prevention and health promotion.

Canada’s publicly funded health-care system provides a unique opportunity to scale Food Is Medicine programs nationwide. Coordinated strategies could link nutrition interventions to chronic disease prevention, food security, and health equity, in line with the federal 2030 Agenda National Strategy (Government of Canada, 2023). Although challenges remain—such as high food costs and limited access in northern communities—the growing momentum suggests that Canadians are ready for a shift. By combining a food-first approach with Food Is Medicine initiatives, Canada has the opportunity to redefine universal health care as not only access to treatment but access to the nourishment that prevents illness.

The next frontier of Canadian health-care reform may not begin in the hospital or pharmacy—it may begin at the dinner table.

References

Canadian Institute for Health Information. (2023). Trends in diet-related chronic disease and health spending in Canada. https://www.cihi.ca

Community Food Centres Canada. (2024). Prescription to health: Food as medicine programs in Canada. https://cfccanada.ca

Dietitians of Canada. (2023). Integrating nutrition into primary care: A Canadian perspective. https://www.dietitians.ca

Government of Canada. (2023). Canada’s 2030 agenda national strategy. https://www.canada.ca

Health Canada. (2019). Canada’s Food Guide. https://food-guide.canada.ca

Ridberg, R. A., et al. (2024). Implementing a food-first strategy can transform preventive and therapeutic nutrition. Frontiers in Nutrition, 11, Article 11350106. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11350106/

Ridberg, R. A., et al. (2025). “Food Is Medicine” in the U.S.: A national survey of public perceptions of care, practices, and policies. Health Affairs, 44(2), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2024.00585

Statistics Canada. (2024). Household food insecurity in Canada, 2022–2023. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca