The Power of Nutrition: How Instacart and 9amHealth are Using Food to Fight Chronic Disease

Nutrition and health are connected – what people eat can be a powerful tool for disease prevention or a contributor to the development of chronic, diet-related illness. With Instacart Health, we’re on a mission to ensure everyone has access to the nourishment they need to live a healthy life. We believe in the power of using food as a tool to improve health and well-being, and through our new partnership with 9amHealth, we’re offering 9amHealth’s patients easy and affordable access to nutritious food through their diabetes, weight, and heart health programs.

Improving health through nutrition is a win-win for both patients and the healthcare system as a whole. Studies have shown that if people’s diets improved, there could be more than $100 billion in savings for patients, taxpayers, providers, and insurers – including both employer-funded health plans and government programs like Medicare and Medicaid. 

As treatments like GLP-1 drugs gain popularity, experts recognize their effectiveness in managing diabetes and obesity, but caution that they aren’t a cure-all for chronic disease management. As use-cases expand, it’s estimated that roughly 9% of Americans could be using a GLP-1 medication by 2030. The Food is Medicine Institute at Tufts University recently highlighted in educational briefings to Congress that while GLP-1 drugs help with weight loss, sustained improvements in body weight health depend on long-term dietary and behavioral habits. These changes are essential for achieving better health outcomes, promoting health equity and reducing overall care costs.

Our partnership with 9amHealth is designed to ensure that nutrition remains a key focus in chronic disease treatment, management, and prevention. 9amHealth offers care plans that give members access to a team of specialists, including dietitians, who curate meal plans and provide education based on each person’s health conditions. Our partnership integrates Instacart Health Fresh Funds into their care model to expand access to nutritious foods. By encouraging dietary and lifestyle changes, paired with convenient food delivery, we have the opportunity to reduce the total cost of care while improving health outcomes. And for those who are on medication regimens that require specific diets – like GLP-1s – our tools are well-suited to help them follow their providers’ guidance and cement long-term behavioral changes. 

Instacart Health products are dynamic and flexible, and can be used to support patients through every stage of their health journey. We’re giving patients the tools they need – from nutrition information and recipe inspiration to meal planning and convenient ordering – to take action and, ultimately, lead a healthier life.

Sarah Mastrorocco

Author

Sarah Mastrorocco is Vice President and General Manager of Health for Instacart. A longtime Instacart veteran and leader, Sarah today oversees Instacart Health, designed to support businesses, nonprofits and consumers across three key areas: Nutrition Security, Making Healthier Choices Easier, and Food as Medicine. Sarah has played an integral role at Instacart since joining as the first member of the company’s business development team in 2014. During her tenure at Instacart, she’s taken on various leadership positions across Business Development, Account Management, and Catalog. Prior to this current role, Sarah oversaw and scaled Instacart’s Pickup business.