Every week, Army Veteran Robert Gerard makes his way to a place that has transformed his life in ways he never expected, the Food Rx market at the James A. Haley Veterans\u2019 Hospital.<\/p>\n
Just a few months earlier, Robert had been in a very different place. In January 2025, after a serious vehicle accident and an MRI, doctors told him he needed surgery. But first, they told him something even more difficult. He must lose weight before the surgery could be performed safely.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThey told me to lose 15 pounds,\u201d Robert said. \u201cAt first, I struggled.\u201d<\/p>\n
Like many Veterans, Robert was facing the combined challenge of food insecurity and chronic health concerns. That\u2019s when his VA care team stepped in and connected him to a new resource, the Food Rx program, a six\u2011month initiative that supports eligible Veterans experiencing food insecurity while managing chronic health conditions.<\/p>\n
The program is simple but powerful: enrolled Veterans visit the Tampa VA campus Food Rx market once a week, selecting from fresh produce, whole grains, lean proteins, herbs and spices, and nutritious shelf-stable items like low-sodium sauces or no-sugar-added canned goods. They take home what they choose, ingredients they\u2019ll use to prepare delicious, healthful meals themselves.<\/p>\n
But Food Rx offers more than groceries. Veterans also receive general nutrition guidance, recipes and cooking tips with the option to join a budget friendly cooking class series and to get individual one-on-one nutrition support with a registered dietitian. And during enrollment, they work with staff to identify barriers to food security so they can be connected to additional VA or community resources.<\/p>\n
The program is made possible through a healthcare partnership between the Tampa VA and Feeding Tampa Bay, whose broader mission includes helping healthcare partners establish food prescription programs across the region.<\/p>\n
For Robert, it was exactly the turning point he needed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was referred to the Food Rx program here and that changed my life,\u201d he said. \u201cI come to the VA once a week to receive my groceries. I\u2019m eating more grains, fruits, salads, brown rice, and wheat bread. I\u2019m getting healthier and losing weight. By changing my diet and cutting out snacks, I\u2019ve lost 27 pounds in the last three months.\u201d<\/p>\n
His progress has brought him more energy, improved health, and renewed hope for the surgery he needs.<\/p>\n
The dietitians who support him and other Veterans feel that same sense of hope every week.<\/p>\n
\u201cBeing part of the Food Rx program and seeing the positive impacts in many Veterans\u2019 lives has been very rewarding and motivating,\u201d said Hillary Markey, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and Program Coordinator for Food Rx and the Healthy Teaching Kitchen.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor Veterans experiencing food insecurity, it can be challenging to also focus on their health and other needs in life. I know what we are doing is making a difference. Veterans report improved physical and mental health, increased fruit and vegetable intake, better blood pressure, improved diabetes labs, weight management, and even new social connections.\u201d<\/p>\n
Veterans can enter the program through an evaluation during their annual screening to determine food insecurity. If they screen positive, they are referred to their outpatient Social Worker and Registered Dietitian for further evaluation.<\/p>\n
Hillary added, \u201cThe Food Rx program strives to help Veterans, like Robert, in the short term by getting nutritious foods into their kitchens, and in the long term by helping them find solutions to their barriers to food security.\u201d<\/p>\n
Casey Trent, Registered Dietitian and Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist, echoed the same sentiment: \u201cIt is rewarding to support Veterans with food security and to help them make healthy lifestyle changes.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Robert, the encouragement he receives each week keeps him motivated.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d like to thank the staff at the VA Food Service for their support and service,\u201d he said. \u201cThey are dedicated, helpful, and listen to our achievements.\u201d<\/p>\n
And for many Veterans, like Robert, a weekly visit to the Food Rx market is not just about groceries\u2014it\u2019s about dignity, health, community, and regaining control of their lives.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Every week, Army Veteran Robert Gerard makes his way to a place that has transformed his life in…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":176535,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[135,137,136],"class_list":{"0":"post-177034","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tampa","8":"tag-tampa","9":"tag-tampa-headlines","10":"tag-tampa-news"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/177034","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=177034"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/177034\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/176535"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=177034"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=177034"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=177034"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}