# Access to Fresh Food and Proper Nutrition Could Help Many Americans with Health Issues

## Ready and Regular Access to Good Nutrition is Critical, Say Experts

### By 

### Published: March 13, 2025 7:00am EDT  
### Updated: March 15, 2025 2:00pm EDT

Consuming  can make all the difference in health and well-being — but not every American has ready, regular access to fresh produce and other wholesome options, many experts say.

Millions of Americans live in food deserts — areas that have limited access to affordable, nutritious foods.

An estimated 53.6 million people, or 17.4% of the U.S. population, live in low-income and low-access areas that are more than half a mile away from the nearest supermarket in urban areas or 10 miles in rural areas, according to 2025 data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

To help address the issue, Boston mom Ashley Tyrner-Dolce started a food delivery service to provide whole,  to Americans who live in these food deserts.

Her company is working to "eradicate the food desert problem that America faces," said Tyrner-Dolce, adding that nutrition education and food accessibility are not prioritized in the American healthcare system.



## 'See what’s going on'

In a recent interview with Fox News Digital, author and advocate Vani Hari, based in North Carolina, discussed the limited access to healthy  in many low-income communities.

> "We want healthy, organic food for these communities."

> "I've personally visited some of them," she said. "I see what's going on in these communities."

She added, "A lot of it has to do with the lack of education and the lack of availability. And this is why it's so important."



Hari referenced new legislation that would ban soda within the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provides  for low-income families.

> "Rather than treating healthcare as sick care, let's actually treat it as healthcare."

> "The government should not be paying billions of dollars to  and then not solving the root issue, which is more access to healthy fruits and vegetables. And that's what we want to do," she said.

## 'Incentivizing Them'

In addition to shipping boxes of healthy food, Tyrner-Dolce's company gives members an incentive to keep up with preventative .

The company's meals and produce boxes are also covered by some of the largest health insurance plans, including Medicare and Medicaid.



The health plans that partner with FarmboxRx will alert the members who could benefit from food delivery, usually due to a diet-related chronic illness.

"We are incentivizing them through food deliveries to go get their mammogram or diabetic eye exam, go to  with their provider, enroll in a mail order pharmacy," said Tyrner-Dolce.



For Americans who find it difficult to afford food, housing, and medication, Tyrner-Dolce suggested they contact their healthcare providers and community centers to explore  counseling options.

In this country, she said, "we have  that living healthy and eating healthy is really only for the top 1% — and that's not accurate," she said.



Tyrner-Dolce herself experienced the issue firsthand — which is why she started her business, she told Fox News Digital.

In 2011, she said, she was pregnant and living off food stamps in a rural food desert.



She said that trying to eat well on a food stamp budget was "incredibly difficult."

"I've walked a mile in the member's shoes that we have the privilege of serving every single day," she said.

> "Everyone deserves the right to eat healthy , no matter their economic status."

She added, "It is just a matter of putting in the work and knowing where those resources are that you can pull from in order to take that self-efficacy journey."

## 'Incentivizing Them'

In addition to shipping boxes of healthy food, Tyrner-Dolce's company gives members an incentive to keep up with preventative .

The company's meals and produce boxes are also covered by some of the largest health insurance plans, including Medicare and Medicaid.



The health plans that partner with FarmboxRx will alert the members who could benefit from food delivery, usually due to a diet-related chronic illness.

"We are incentivizing them through food deliveries to go get their mammogram or diabetic eye exam, go to  with their provider, enroll in a mail order pharmacy," said Tyrner-Dolce.



What's needed is "a true food-as-medicine intervention," said one wellness advocate.

For Americans who find it difficult to afford food, housing, and medication, Tyrner-Dolce suggested they contact their healthcare providers and community centers to explore  counseling options.

In this country, she said, "we have  that living healthy and eating healthy is really only for the top 1% — and that's not accurate," she said.



Tyrner-Dolce herself experienced the issue firsthand — which is why she started her business, she told Fox News Digital.

In 2011, she said, she was pregnant and living off food stamps in a rural food desert.

> "Everyone deserves the right to eat healthy , no matter their economic status."

She added, "It is just a matter of putting in the work and knowing where those resources are that you can pull from in order to take that self-efficacy journey."


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