HRSA Awards Nearly $13 Million to Expand Access to Healthy Foods for Pregnant and Postpartum Women

Nutrition programs will support community-based efforts to improve nutrition, food security, and maternal and birth outcomes

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) today announced $12.7 million in Fiscal Year 2026 awards through the Maternal Produce Prescription Program (MP3) to help pregnant and postpartum women and their families in low-income and medically underserved communities access healthy foods.

MP3 provides produce prescriptions or vouchers and nutrition education to help pregnant and postpartum women and their families access fruits and vegetables. The program strengthens partnerships among healthcare providers, community-based organizations, and local food systems and aims to increase fruit and vegetable consumption, improve household food security, and improve maternal and birth outcomes.

"Good nutrition is foundational to good health," said HRSA Administrator Tom Engels. "Through the new Maternal Produce Prescription Program, we are helping pregnant and postpartum women and their families get fruits and vegetables. Across HRSA, we are expanding access to nutrition services in health centers, strengthening nutrition support for people with HIV, and helping make nutrition a more integrated part of healthcare, including through telehealth. These are practical steps to help Americans live healthier lives."

The new program is part of HRSA's broader work to expand access to nutrition services across communities and healthcare settings and advances the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) Strategy by prioritizing nutrition as a foundation of health, strengthening preventive care, and helping address nutrition-related health risks.

Expanding nutrition support across HRSA

MP3 is part of a broader set of HRSA nutrition investments in Fiscal Year 2026, including:

• Telehealth Nutrition Services Network Grant Program ($5.4 million): Integrates nutrition services into primary and specialty care through telehealth networks. The program expands access to telenutrition services to help prevent and manage chronic diseases, particularly in rural and medically underserved communities.
• Nutrition Security for People with HIV ($2.3 million): Supports efforts to implement and evaluate interventions that improve food and nutrition security for people with HIV. Through HRSA's Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program's Part F Special Projects of National Significance Program, the initiative supports implementation assistance and helps identify effective nutrition approaches that can be adopted by Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program-funded organizations.

Building on HRSA's Broader Nutrition Work

These investments build on HRSA's broader work to make nutrition a more integrated part of healthcare and expand access to nutrition services.

Earlier this year, HRSA announced more than $125 million in new funding to support more than 350 health centers expand access to nutrition services to prevent and manage chronic disease. HRSA has also expanded opportunities for registered dietitians through workforce programs, encouraged stronger nutrition education across health professions training, and supported rural health programs that address lack of access to food or healthy foods, and connect people with food resources. Telehealth.HHS.gov offers telehealth resources for both patients and providers, including the Telehealth Nutrition Care and Services Best Practice Guide and Telehealth Nutrition Information for Patients.

Together, these efforts advance the Make America Healthy Again Strategy by expanding access to healthy foods and nutrition services, strengthening prevention, and supporting approaches that help people build healthier lives.

Learn more about MP3 and review the list of FY 2026 award recipients.

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