Center for Nutrition & Health Impact

09/08/2026

Today, we are extending a warm welcome to Dr. Heidi Michels Blanck!

Dr. Blanck recently joined CNHI full time as a Senior Research Scientist, transitioning from her previous role as a member of CNHI’s Scientific Advisory Committee.

In her new role, she will contribute directly to CNHI’s research portfolio, bringing her expertise to ongoing projects and helping advance the organization’s research and evaluation efforts.

Welcome to the research team, Heidi!

09/04/2026

In June, CNHI Director of Scientific Strategy Dr. Carmen Byker Shanks, along with Kelli Wilson Begay, joined researchers, clinicians, and health professionals in New Orleans for the American Diabetes Association (ADA) Scientific Sessions.

Dr. Byker Shanks presented final findings from an ADA-funded produce prescription program for type 2 diabetes and contributed as a co-author on two posters focused on developing a Diabetes Plate Index. The team also connected with ADA collaborators and project partners to discuss updates to the Diabetes Plate and support implementation of the project.

A big thank you to our collaborators for making this work possible, and for the opportunity to connect!

# NutritionResearch

09/02/2026

A new publication from the Center is available! 🥭

This publication examines how produce prescription program design and implementation characteristics are associated with incentive redemption and participant outcomes, including fruit and vegetable intake, food security, and perceived health.

Authors from the Center include Dr. Victoria Zigmont, Dr. Bailey Houghtaling, Dr. Elise Mitchell, Dr. Eric Calloway, Dr. Courtney Parks, Dr. Carmen Byker Shanks, Gabrielle Talavera, James Marriott, and Ka Her, along with Dr. Kofi Essel, Dr. Christopher Long, and Erin Summerlee.

Understand the real-world impact of these findings: https://bit.ly/4bZsh4C

Zigmont VA, Houghtaling B, Mitchell E, Talavera GE, Calloway EE, Parks C, Essel K, Marriott J, Her K, Byker Shanks C, Summerlee E, Long CR. Examining the associations among produce prescription program implementation characteristics and incentive redemption and participant outcomes. Transl Behav Med. 2026, Jan 7. doi: 10.1093/tbm/ibag040.

This work is supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture

08/26/2026

New research examined the relationship between food security and walking for transportation across the United States. 🚶🥬

Using data from more than 27,000 adults, researchers found that people experiencing food insecurity walked for transportation more often than those who were food secure, regardless of whether they lived in rural or urban communities or in different regions of the country. The findings highlight the importance of transportation infrastructure that supports access to healthy food.

Authors include CNHI Senior Research Scientist Dr. Laura Balis, along with Dr. Jessica Stroope, Dr. Marilyn E. Wende, Dr. Robert E. Anderson, Karin Valentine Goins, Dr. Christina N. Bridges Hamilton, and Dr. M. Renée Umstattd Meyer.

See how these findings inform policy and practice: https://bit.ly/4vGV7O8

Stroope J, Wende ME, Anderson RE, Balis LE, Valentine Goins K, Bridges Hamilton CN, Umstattd Meyer, MR. Relationship Between Food Security and Walking for Transportation: Findings by Region and Rurality. The Journal of Rural Health. 2026;42(2):e70181. doi:10.1111/jrh.70181

08/24/2026

In a recent study, CNHI researchers examined how California-based brick-and-mortar retailers experienced implementing a nutrition incentive (NI) program that used SNAP EBT integration to provide fruit and vegetable incentives at checkout. 🛒🍅

Respondent data showed favorable experiences and perceptions with the NI program, also highlighting opportunities for future implementation.

Authors from the Center include Dr. Bailey Houghtaling, James Marriott, Dr. Amy Yaroch, and Dr. Carmen Byker Shanks, along with Joe Prickitt, Blanca Meléndrez, Karemi Alvarez, and Nancy Knauer.

Take a closer look at the data: https://bit.ly/3Teatw8

Houghtaling B, Marriott JP, Yaroch AL, Prickitt J, Melendrez B, Alvarez K, Knauer N, Byker Shanks C. Brick-and-mortar food retail implementation of a nutrition incentive program using Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) integration in Southern California. Translational Behavioral Medicine. 2026;16(1):ibag020.

08/20/2026

💬 Behind every statistic in the Year 6 GusNIP Impact Findings Report is a personal story.

One produce prescription program (PPR) participant shared:

"Today, I feel like a different person. My blood pressure has improved, I have lost weight, I exercise regularly, and I feel better both physically and emotionally."

— Western Region PPR Participant

✨ Stories like this help bring the findings to life, illustrating what improved access to nutritious food can mean for participants.

📖 Explore more stories and findings: https://www.nutritionincentivehub.org/gusnip-ntae-impact-findings?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign&utm_content=ap_fejhawyrjm

This work is supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture .

08/19/2026

CNHI researchers recently examined how produce prescription (PPR) programs are evaluated across the United States. 🥕🩺📊

Overall, researchers found that while PPR programs are commonly evaluated using measures of dietary intake, health outcomes, and food security, there is a need for more standardized evaluation measures to better capture their impact.

Authors from the Center include Dr. Eliza Short, Dr. Bailey Houghtaling, Dr. Carmen Byker Shanks, Dr. Victoria A Zigmont, Dr. Sarah Stotz, James Marriott, Jenna Eastman, and Dr. Amy L Yaroch, along with Dr. Hilary K Seligman, Dr. Christopher R Long, Melissa Richert Brown, Michelle S Park, and Randa Lopez Morgan.

Dive into the research advancing PPR program evaluation: https://bit.ly/4xnEYP3

Short E, Houghtaling B, Byker Shanks C, Zigmont VA, Stotz S, Seligman HK, Long CR, Richert Brown M, Marriott J, Park MS, Eastman J, Lopez Morgan R, Yaroch AL. Quantitative evaluation of produce prescription programs in the United States: A scoping review. Nutrition Reviews. 2026. doi:10.1093/nutrit/nuag084

This work is supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

08/17/2026

Happy National Nonprofit Day! 🌎

As the only independent nonprofit research center of our kind, we're committed to generating evidence that helps strengthen nutrition and public health programs across the country.

Today, we celebrate the researchers, practitioners, communities, and partners who work alongside us to advance nutrition and public health.

Haven’t had a chance to check out our latest partnership release with the NTAE? Head over to the Nutrition Incentive Hub or click the link below to explore the Year 6 Impact Findings Report.

Explore the full report: https://www.nutritionincentivehub.org/gusnip-ntae-impact-findings

This work is supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture .

08/14/2026

CNHI is proud to lead GusNIP’s national evaluation and technical assistance efforts through the NTAE Center, and excited to share the new GusNIP Year 6 Impact Findings Report!

The Year 6 findings highlight the collective impact of nutrition incentive and produce prescription programs nationwide, including improved food security and increased fruit and vegetable intake among participants.

Explore the GusNIP Year 6 Impact Findings Report: https://lnkd.in/gYmHsEWZ



This work is supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

🎉 We’re excited to share the GusNIP Year 6 Impact Findings Report!

This year's findings tell an important story about what happens when people have better access to fruits and vegetables.

Across the GusNIP network, participants reported improvements in food security, eating habits, and health. The findings also highlight the broader impact nutrition incentive and produce prescription projects are making in communities nationwide.

📊 Explore the findings and see the data behind the impact: https://www.nutritionincentivehub.org/gusnip-ntae-impact-findings

This work is supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture .

08/14/2026

Congratulations to Dr. Whitney Fung Uy on receiving a CNHI Innovative Research Project award!

Whitney's project, Farmer-Led Advisory Board: A Strategic Needs Assessment to Inform Research Priorities Driven by Farmer-to-Farmer Conversations, will elevate farmers' perspectives to inform research priorities, strengthen food systems, and support healthier communities.

Congratulations, Whitney!

Read more about this project and the other award-winning initiatives in our Summer 2026 Newsletter.
https://bit.ly/4fP3nXH