Part of the mission at Saratoga Community Health Center is to educate through opportunity. Our Nutrition Prescription program allows us to engage with patients, providing them nutritional information and access to locally grown vegetables.
The Community Health Center has offered this multidisciplinary program for the past five years. A new topic is presented each week, and participants set weekly goals related to that topic. Topics range from portion control and food safety to meal prepping and shopping on a budget.
While the participants come from a variety of backgrounds and have different medical diagnoses, many share one common denominator—food insecurity. What makes Nutrition Rx unique is that each participant receives a weekly bag of fresh produce donated by Pitney Meadows Community Farm. For many, this is their only source of fresh vegetables. Participants receive easy-to-use recipes that utilize the vegetables, as well as the nutrition information for each vegetable. The produce is also incorporated into the weekly discussions. Many participants live alone and often share their produce with others. They also share their experiences using and storing the vegetables each week.
Nutrition Rx has not only been an additional avenue of support for participants, it also has improved the various medical conditions the participants have. Data was collected looking at this year’s participants’ BMI, HbA1c, LDL, blood pressure levels, and readiness to change.
We believe that good nutrition plus good habits create a strong foundation of health. If you would like to support this program or sponsor a vegetable share for a patient, please click here.
Monday – Friday:
8:00 AM – 4:30 PM
Extended hours, by appointment:
Monday– Thursday:
7:30 Am – 8:00 AM and
4:30 PM – 7:00 PM
Lab hours:
Available during normal and extended business hours
518-886-5600
Fax: 518-886-5880