March is National Nutrition Month®, a time to spotlight the importance of making informed food choices and developing healthy eating habits. Across the country, millions of families face challenges putting healthy food on the table. DoorDash is helping bridge those gaps and delivering healthier options directly to doorsteps.
Advancing Food as Medicine Through Project DASH
Food as Medicine is a growing movement grounded in a simple idea: nutritious food is essential to preventing and managing chronic disease. Delivery plays a critical role by ensuring patients can consistently receive the healthy groceries and meals their care teams prescribe, especially when illness, mobility challenges, or time constraints make it difficult for patients to get the nutrition they need.
Through Project DASH — DoorDash’s initiative to power delivery on behalf of food banks, food pantries, and other social impact organizations — we work alongside leading community organizations and healthcare providers to integrate nutrition into care delivery. Here are just a few of the standout ways our partners are using Project DASH to promote healthier outcomes in their communities:
Bringing Medically Tailored Groceries To Colorado
In partnership with the Food Bank of the Rockies, we’re helping deliver nutrient-dense, medically tailored groceries to individuals with conditions like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and hypertension. Through the organization's Food for Health program, which began in 2022, those boxes also provide recipes and dietary tips for communities both in Denver and parts of rural Colorado.
Improving Health Outcomes In California
Second Harvest Food Bank in Santa Cruz County provides grocery boxes and nutrition counseling to community members with chronic conditions through a Medi-Cal program. More than 10,000 grocery boxes have been delivered through the partnership, helping members with diabetes lower their A1C, and those with hypertension lower their blood pressure.
Partnering Directly With Healthcare Providers In Arkansas
Through a Food As Medicine partnership with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), along with Harps Food Store and United Way of Northwest Arkansas, to support delivery of tailored groceries to patients managing chronic conditions, we’ve seen blood sugar outcomes improve for nearly 60% of participating adults with diabetes.
Supporting Community Nutrition Programs Through Community Credits
In addition to powering direct food delivery, DoorDash supports organizations advancing nutrition at the local level through Community Credits — grants that provide DoorDash gift cards to nonprofits so they can better serve their communities.
For example, in partnership with Hands On Hartford, we contributed $10,000 to support its Backpack Nutrition Program, which provides weekend meals to more than 200 families facing food insecurity. By helping fund access to nutritious food options, this partnership supports students and families in maintaining consistent, healthy eating habits — even outside the classroom.
Expanding Access to Healthy Groceries Through SNAP/EBT Delivery
Access and affordability are critical components of healthy eating. Since launching SNAP/EBT payments on DoorDash in 2023, we’ve expanded online grocery access to more than 3 million customers who use their SNAP/EBT cards on DoorDash.
As detailed in our recent report, From Food Deserts to Dinner Tables: How SNAP Delivery Removes Barriers and Supports Healthier Habits, 94% of U.S. households receiving SNAP benefits now have access to at least one participating store on DoorDash. Importantly, delivery supports healthier habits. Among surveyed SNAP/EBT users on DoorDash:
67% reported changing their eating habits after using SNAP/EBT on DoorDash.
31% said they are eating more fruits and vegetables.
42% said they are cooking at home more often instead of turning to fast food or takeout.
58% said they feel able to buy more fruits and vegetables without spending more.
Notably, SNAP consumers on DoorDash are twice as likely to live in food deserts compared to non-SNAP users, underscoring the important role delivery can play in overcoming geographic barriers to fresh food.
Helping Customers Find Fresh Produce
This month, DoorDash will highlight fresh fruits, vegetables, and healthy grocery essentials from local and national partners across the platform. Throughout March, customers will see curated in-app collections featuring healthy perishables, including those specific to SNAP/EBT designed to help eligible consumers use their benefits to shop for healthy groceries online.
During National Nutrition Month® and every day, we’re proud to work alongside food banks and pantries, community organizations, healthcare providers, and policymakers to make it easier for everyone to find nutritious food.
