HERSHEY, Pa. — On a sunny Friday morning at Crossroads Market in Gratz, Cheryl Reed-Rhine of Elizabethville browsed mountains of colorful fresh produce. She selected a head of broccoli, crisp apples, a pineapple and a carton of sugar snap peas.
“I’m really trying to use all fresh things because it’s summer,” she said, a simple statement that represents a profound shift in her habits. Just a few months ago, her shopping cart and daily meals looked very different.
The catalyst for this change? A free, six-week course called Veggie Rx. A collaboration between Penn State Health and Penn State College of Medicine, the program is designed to empower people to improve their health through food. And for Reed-Rhine, the results are undeniable: since starting in April, she’s lost 20 pounds.
Her story of personal transformation mirrors many others across central Pennsylvania, thanks to a program that provides not just food, but the knowledge to turn it into lasting wellness.
View a gallery of photos of the Veggie Rx program
A recipe for change
Veggie Rx operates on a simple yet powerful idea: food as medicine. The program combines practical nutrition education with vouchers to purchase fresh produce. This two-pronged approach is delivered directly within communities that need it most.
“We meet with community partners and look at maps to see where access to healthy food is limited,” said Laurie Crawford, program manager for food access and community gardens at Penn State Health.
The program partners with local health centers or housing authorities, helping it to reach people who are food-insecure or managing diet-related chronic illnesses like type 2 diabetes and hypertension.
“Health isn’t just about individual choices or medications. People need access to healthy food and the skills to prepare it,” explained Susan Veldheer, an associate professor of family and community medicine and public health sciences at Penn State College of Medicine, who is conducting a National Institutes for Health clinical trial on Veggie Rx’s effectiveness.
What makes the program unique, she said, is the partnership between Penn State Health’s community health team, which delivers community-based classes, and Penn State College of Medicine researchers who study its impact in the clinic.
“It’s exciting that we can offer this program in real-world settings while also testing it through a clinical trial,” Veldheer said. “This approach allows us to learn in real time what works best and refine the program to help even more people live healthier lives.”
The program also recognizes the everyday challenges families face. For many on a tight budget, trying an unfamiliar vegetable can feel like a financial risk. By providing vouchers, Veldheer said, Veggie Rx gives participants the freedom to explore healthier options without the stress.
More than a grocery list
Along with access to healthy food, Veggie Rx delivers education, equipping participants with the tools to build new habits. The curriculum covers everything from cooking techniques to the emotional side of eating.
For Reed-Rhine, some of the biggest revelations were in the fine print, she said.
“Before I took the class, I didn’t read food labels a whole lot,” she admitted. “I would just be like, ‘Oh, this looks good.’”
Through Veggie Rx, she learned not only how to decipher nutrition labels but also practical skills like proper portion sizes for proteins and vegetables.
Heather Stephens of Millersburg found the program a perfect foundation for her own health journey following bariatric surgery, she said. One of the most valuable lessons she learned was the benefits of frozen produce.
“I never realized that all the nutrients were still there in the frozen stuff,” she said. “I always thought the fresh was obviously better.” This knowledge allowed her to stock up on healthy foods without worrying about spoilage, she added.
The program’s holistic, nonjudgmental approach is key, said Erika Mollo, the Veggie Rx Nutrition Program coordinator.
“I tell people it’s all about the baby steps,” she explained. “Small steps are all you need to take in order to see lasting results.”
Knowledge is the key ingredient
That combination of access and education is yielding life-changing results for participants. Back in her kitchen, Reed-Rhine puts her new knowledge into practice by meal prepping for the week.
“I’ve been taking my meals to work instead of eating from the vending machine,” she proudly said. This consistent effort has not only led to weight loss but has dramatically improved her health markers, she added. Her A1C, a key measure of blood sugar, dropped from a diabetic level of 8.7 to 5.4, placing her back in the prediabetic range.
Her individual success is reflected in the program's overall data. A spring 2024 analysis showed participants, on average, lowered their total cholesterol by 9 points and saw a 6-point drop in systolic blood pressure. For participants like Stephens, the program is an indispensable part of their toolbox.
“I really think this is a perfect foundation to set you up for success,” she said.
Ultimately, the Veggie Rx program is about empowerment. It gives people the resources, knowledge and confidence to reclaim their health, one fresh meal at a time. For anyone considering the program, Reed-Rhine said to go for it: “There’s a LOT of knowledge to be had, if you pay attention.”
Email community@pennstatehealth.psu.edu to learn more or sign up for Veggie Rx.
Improving nutrition and food access is a key part of Penn State Health’s commitment to advancing health equity. Learn more in the Penn State Health Community Health Needs Assessment and Implementation Strategy.