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A ValleyWise Health program is working to help diabetes patients manage their condition by pairing medical care with hands-on nutrition education and free food
The distribution was for graduates of the Diabetes Education Empowerment Program, or DEEP, an eight-week course that teaches patients how to manage diabetes through diet and lifestyle changes
Program director Oscar Solis said patients who complete the course earn a diabetic-friendly food box once a month for a full year, part of an effort to combine medical treatment with practical, hands-on nutrition education
The boxes include samples of foods patients learn to prepare in class, reinforcing lessons from the program’s curriculum rather than just handing out groceries
That curriculum includes a meal-prepping class where patients learn to cook and swap ingredients to make meals healthier. The monthly boxes reflect those lessons, with lower-carbohydrate items, more protein and “clean carbs” like oatmeal
Over the past two years, DEEP has distributed more than 2,000 food boxes at places like ValleyWise Health’s Avondale location, Solis said
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