Blue Cross Blue Shield Association’s National Labor Office is urging unions to treat nutrition as a frontline health strategy. Executive Director Merrilee Logue joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast with public health experts Aishat Magbade and Sarah Duggan Goldstein to explain the “food is medicine” movement, a growing approach that uses nutrition to prevent, manage, and sometimes combat chronic disease.
The guests outlined practical programs already offered through some health plans — medically tailored meals, medically tailored groceries, and produce prescriptions — and stressed why union members face unique barriers to healthy eating, from shift work and overtime to food deserts and rising grocery prices. Their message to labor leaders: small workplace changes can help, but the biggest first step is to determine which benefits are already available in members’ health coverage.
As 2026 begins, the National Labor Office of Blue Cross Blue Shield Association is opening the year with a message aimed squarely at union households: health outcomes are shaped long before a doctor’s visit.
Merrilee Logue, Executive Director of the association’s National Labor Office, returned to the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the “food is medicine” movement — a phrase that has surged in public conversation as federal nutrition policy receives renewed attention.
Logue said the topic is landing in union spaces for a reason. Labor leaders are increasingly concerned about the prevalence of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and other chronic conditions among members. For many working families, the challenge is not a lack of motivation. It is the collision of long hours, limited access, and confusing information.
Logue brought two colleagues to ground the conversation in public health practice: Aishat Magbade, a community health advocate with a decade of experience in health policy, and Sarah Duggan Goldstein, a public health scientist with 25 years in research and health systems.
Both guests also framed the discussion through a union lens, noting their own family histories in organized labor.
The guests began with a direct definition.
Logue described the “food is medicine” movement as an approach that treats nutrition as a factor that can prevent disease, improve outcomes, and help manage chronic conditions.
“Food is medicine is the concept that food is a factor for improving health outcomes by preventing, combating, or even managing disease.” —Merrilee Logue
Magbade added that the concept is rooted in the connection between what people eat and how the body functions — from immune support to cellular health.
Goldstein put numbers behind the urgency.
“Nearly 90 percent of annual U.S. healthcare costs are tied to chronic conditions, most of which have poor diet as a major risk factor.” —Sarah Duggan Goldstein
She added that more than 500,000 deaths each year in the United States are linked to poor nutrition.
Ferenc, reacting to the figure, called it striking. The guests said it is also a reminder that diet is not a niche topic. It is a national cost driver and a workplace issue.
Logue noted the concept itself is not new. Cultures have long used food as a form of healing. What is changing now is the modern policy focus and the growing effort to measure outcomes.
Goldstein said the country is seeing renewed attention to dietary guidance and a broader push toward fresh, whole foods and away from highly processed options.
When the conversation turned from concept to action, Magbade outlined the types of programs increasingly appearing in health systems and insurance plans.
One example: medically tailored meals — fully prepared meals designed for people with serious conditions such as cancer or congestive heart failure, especially when they cannot shop or cook.
Another: medically tailored groceries — packages of fresh and shelf-stable foods selected to match a person’s clinical needs. Magbade offered examples: low-potassium foods for someone on dialysis, high-protein and low-sodium items for someone managing heart failure. These programs typically require some cooking, but may include recipes and preparation tips.
A third category: produce prescription programs. These provide fruits and vegetables — fresh, frozen or canned — to people who have or are at risk for chronic conditions and who struggle to access nutritious food. The programs may be delivered through grocery stores, health centers or community food pantries.
Ferenc described the menu of options as impressive. The guests stressed that the programs are designed to meet people where they are — not where a brochure assumes they live.
Logue said the most common mistake in nutrition conversations is treating healthy eating as a simple matter of willpower.
Union members, she said, often face structural barriers: overtime, shift work, and job sites or workplaces located far from full grocery stores. Even when workers want to make changes, the environment may not support it.
She offered a story from Atlantic City, N.J., where she was working with unions and found it difficult to locate fresh fruit between meetings.
“I was surprised how hard it was to even locate a simple apple.” —Merrilee Logue
Goldstein broadened the list of obstacles: rising grocery prices, limited income, food deserts and the reality that many neighborhoods have convenience stores but few healthy options.
She also pointed to less visible barriers — limited nutrition knowledge and limited cooking skills — which can make even well-intentioned plans collapse after working a long shift.
The underlying point was consistent: workplace health cannot be separated from workplace reality.
Ferenc asked what practical steps unions can take.
Logue suggested starting with visible, low-cost changes: posting updated nutrition guidelines in break rooms, encouraging healthier snacks at meetings, and working with vendors to improve vending machine options.
She said some unions have partnered with local food markets and nutritionists to support healthier eating.
Magbade emphasized a step that costs nothing but can unlock significant support: ask the health plan which foods are covered under its “medication” benefits.
She said many people do not realize these benefits may already be built into coverage, including private plans, Medicare Advantage, and state Medicaid programs. Coverage varies, she said, so members should check what their plan offers.
Logue said Blue Cross Blue Shield companies are working to expand these supports through partnerships across public and private sectors, with prevention as the organizing principle.
She closed with a message designed for labor audiences: healthier members strengthen unions.
The episode’s strongest throughline was that nutrition is not a lifestyle trend. It is a workplace health strategy with measurable consequences.
For unions, the guests argued, food is medicine can be approached the same way labor approaches safety: identify the risk, remove barriers, and make the healthier option easier to access.
The guests also made clear that unions do not have to build new systems from scratch. In many cases, the first move is simply learning what benefits already exist, then making sure members know how to use them.
Healthier members make for a stronger, more resilient union. You don't need a medical degree to advocate for your brothers and sisters—you just need to know what’s already available.
Take the Next Step:
Listen to More: Hear the full expert panel on the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to learn how labor is leading the charge on the "Food is Medicine" movement.