Cocina Rx Impact
Food is Medicine that is culturally rooted, clinically informed, and built to scale.
Our impact in one sentence:
We help people with chronic conditions improve health outcomes by making therapeutic food convenient, culturally familiar, and supported by coaching, technology, and community.
What we change
Health
improve diet quality and daily habits that drive cardiometabolic risk.
Equity
deliver high-quality nutrition support designed with and for Latino communities and other historically underserved groups.
Capability
build cooking confidence and practical skills so healthy choices are sustainable at home.
Systems
demonstrate a scalable model that health systems, payers, and community partners can adopt.
Evidence from our 2023 and 2024 pilots
Cocina Rx tested and refined its model across two pilots, combining medically tailored meals, culturally relevant nutrition education, and supportive coaching with practical tools for tracking and accountability.
Pilot 1 (2023)
8-week culturally sensitive nutrition and lifestyle intervention for uninsured Latino adults with chronic health issues, paired with medically tailored meals, registered dietitian coaching, and healthy cooking classes.
Pilot 2 (2024)
12-week hybrid program that expanded the model with structured phases, clinical monitoring, and tech-enabled engagement.
156
Interest
138
Screened
45
Eligible
45
Enrolled
39
Completed
Outcomes Observed Across the Pilots
Health Improvements
Meaningful improvements within weeks, including weight loss, improved energy, and improvements in cardiometabolic risk factors such as blood pressure.
Engagement
Higher engagement when medically tailored meals were paired with coaching, community accountability, and hands-on culinary learning.
Skills and Confidence
Participants applied healthier versions of traditional recipes at home and shared practices with family and peers.
Scalability Insight
Sustained incentives and support are needed after intensive meal support ends to maintain retention and long-term behavior change.
Partners and supporters advancing this work
- University of Chicago and 32 Biosciences (research collaboration and advanced biomarker and microbiome measurement).
- University of Illinois Chicago (academic partnership and community health alignment).
- Blue Cross Blue Shield (payer-aligned pathway for Food is Medicine implementation and evaluation).
- Builders Vision (support for scalable, systems-level impact).
Why this matters now
- Food is Medicine is moving from pilots to payment models. Cocina Rx is positioned to help partners move quickly from proof to practice.
- Our approach is designed for real life: culturally familiar meals, practical skills, and technology-enabled support that can be delivered at scale.
Last updated: March 2026