Amy Saxe-Custack, PhD, MPH, RDN

Amy Saxe-Custack profile photo

Associate Professor with Tenure

Dr. Saxe-Custack is a Registered Dietitian and Associate Professor in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition at Michigan State University. She received an MPH in Human Nutrition at the University of Michigan School of Public Health and, after an impressive career with Dole Food Company and USDA, Dr. Saxe-Custack completed a PhD in Human Nutrition at Michigan State University. She currently serves as the Nutrition Director for the Pediatric Public Health Initiative, a joint effort between Michigan State University and Hurley Children’s Hospital, to address the impact of Flint’s population-wide lead exposure on children.

A long-time resident of the Flint community, Dr. Saxe-Custack is dedicated to the evaluation and expansion of nutrition programs that target children and families living in Flint, with a particular focus on improving access to fresh foods. Much of her work has been initiated in partnership with the Flint Farmers’ Market and Hurley Children’s Center to examine the impact of an innovative fruit and vegetable prescription program for pediatric patients. Through recent grant awards, Dr. Saxe-Custack is working with community partners to expand and evaluate both the fruit and vegetable prescription program as well as an experiential nutrition and cooking program for Flint children, Flint Kids Cook.

Select Publications

Saxe-Custack, A., LaChance, J., Shipp, G. et al. Influence of a Prenatal Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program on Diet and Household Food Security in a Low-Income, Urban Community. Matern Child Health J (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10995-025-04212-5

Saxe-Custack A, Todem D, LaChance J, Kerver J, Anthony J. Association between youth blood pressure and exposure to pediatric fruit and vegetable prescriptions. Pediatric Research. 2024. DOI: doi.org/10.1038/s41390-024-03671-w. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39653792.

Saxe-Custack A, Egan S, Farmer B, Pulka K, Sampson A. Caregiver-reported barriers to engagement in a pediatric fresh fruit and vegetable prescription program. Journal of Nutritional Sciences. 2024;13:e33. DOI: doi.org/10.1017/jns.2024.33.

Saxe-Custack A, LaChance J, Kerver JM. A Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program for Prenatal Patients in Flint, Michigan: Baseline Food Security and Dietary Intake. Nutrients. 2024;16(8):1234. DOI: doi.org/10.3390/nu16081234

Sadler RC, Saxe-Custack A. ‘Nobody shops at the neighborhood store’: leveraging a community’s pediatric fresh produce prescription program to inform future participating store redemption locations.Cities & Health. 2023;8(1):70-81. DOI: doi.org/10.1080/23748834.2023.2281764

Saxe-Custack A, Egan S, Sadler R, Wojciechowski T. Relative impacts of a virtual cooking and nutrition program for children and families. Appetite. 2023;191: 107041. DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2023.107041

Saxe-Custack A, Todem D, Anthony J, Kerver J, LaChance J, Hanna-Attisha M. Effect of a pediatric fruit and vegetable prescription program on child dietary patterns, food security, and weight status: a study protocol. BMC Public Health. 2022;22(1):150. DOI: doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-12544-y

Saxe-Custack A, Egan S. Flint Families Cook: A virtual cooking and nutrition program for families. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. 2022;54:359-363. DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2022.01.002

Saxe-Custack A, Lofton H, Dawson C, Egan S, Hanna-Attisha M. “The shelves are bare”: The impact of COVID-19 on families enrolled in a pediatric produce prescription program. Cureus. 2022;14(11):e31540. DOI: doi.org/10.7759/cureus.31540

Saxe-Custack A, LaChance J, Hanna-Attisha M, Goldsworthy M, Ceja T. Household supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program participation is associated with higher fruit and vegetable consumption. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. 2021. 53(12):P1060-1065. DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2021.06.017.

Saxe-Custack A, LaChance J, Jess J, Hanna-Attisha M. Influence of a pediatric fruit and vegetable prescription program on child dietary patterns and food security. Nutrients. 2021; 13(8):2619. DOI: doi.org/10.3390/nu13082619.

Saxe-Custack A, Goldsworthy M, Lofton HC, Hanna-Attisha M, Nweke O. Family perceptions of a cooking and nutrition program for low-income children and adolescents. Global Pediatric Health. 2021; DOI: doi.org/10.1177/2333794X21989525 

Saxe-Custack A, LaChance J, Hanna-Attisha M, Dawson C. Flint Kids Cook: Positive influence of a farmers’ market cooking and nutrition programme on health-related quality of life of US children in a low-income, urban community. Public Health Nutrition. 2020;24(6):1492-1500. DOI: doi.org/10.1017/S136898002000395X

Saxe-Custack A, Sadler R, LaChance J, Hanna-Attisha M, Ceja T. Participation in a fruit and vegetable prescription program for pediatric patients is positively associated with farmers’ market shopping. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2020; 17(12): E4202. DOI: doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17124202

Saxe-Custack A, LaChance J, Hanna-Attisha M. Child consumption of whole fruit and fruit juice following six months of exposure to a pediatric fruit and vegetable prescription program. Nutrients. 2020; 12(1):25. DOI: doi.org/10.3390/nu12010025

Saxe-Custack A, Lofton HC, Hanna-Attisha M, Tata Z, Ceja T, LaChance J. Caregiver experiences with an innovative farmers’ market incentive program for children in Flint, Michigan. Global Pediatric Health. 2019;6:2333794X19870989. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/2333794X19870989

Saxe-Custack A, Kerver JM, Mphwanthe G, Weatherspoon L. Participant experiences in a paraprofessional-led weight management program for children and families. Sage Open Medicine. 2019; 7:2050312119863920. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/2050312119863920

Saxe-Custack A, LaChance J, Hanna-Attisha M, Ceja T. Fruit and vegetable prescriptions for pediatric patients living in Flint, Michigan: A cross-sectional study of food security and dietary patterns at baseline. Nutrients. 2019; 11(6):1423. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11061423

Saxe-Custack A, Hanna-Attisha M, Zvoch K. Fruit and vegetable prescriptions for pediatric patients in Flint, Michigan: Program development, methods, and baseline characteristics. Current Developments in Nutrition. 2019; 3(Suppl 1): NZZ051.FS02-05-19. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/cdn/nzz051.FS02-05-19

Saxe-Custack A, Lofton H, Hanna-Attisha M, Victor C, Reyes G, Ceja T, LaChance J. Caregiver perceptions of a fruit and vegetable prescription programme for low-income paediatric patients. Public Health Nutrition. 2018. 21(13):2497-2506. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980018000964

Saxe-Custack A, Weatherspoon L. A qualitative assessment of self-management priorities among persons with type 2 diabetes. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. 2014; 46(4):S186. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2014.04.283

Research Projects

Michigan Health Endowment Fund 
09/01/2021 to 08/31/2023
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding amount: $482,323
Expansion of Produce Prescriptions: A Prenatal Pilot
Prior research supports the efficacy of a pediatric fruit and vegetable prescription program (FVPP) that provides one $15 prescription to all patients at each office visit in reaching the Flint demographic to successfully reduce food insecurity and improve dietary intake. Recognizing that nutrition education and security must start as early as possible and that early childhood habits portend adult health, this new two-year proposed project expands our evidence-based FVPP to the prenatal population. This prenatal pilot program will start in one large Flint obstetric clinic, the Hurley Women’s Health Center, with the long-term goal of widespread adoption across Flint and Genesee County.

Stephanie and David Spina Family Foundation 
01/01/2021 to 12/31/2021
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding amount: $106,000
Development of a Virtual Nutrition and Cooking Program for Children
The goal of this project is to develop and implement a modified version of Flint Kids Cook, a successful cooking and nutrition program for children and adolescents, to be taught virtually. This modified program, Flint Families Cook, was developed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and intended to engage families in preparing healthy recipes while in the safety of their homes. Flint Families Cook will be piloted in partnership with Flint Fresh, a local mobile market that will deliver food boxes each week.

Michigan Health Endowment Fund                                                                         
09/01/2020 to 08/31/2022 
Role: Principal Investigator 
Long-term Impact of a Pediatric Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program 
The goal of the project is to investigate the influence of a year-round pediatric fruit and vegetable prescription program (FVPP) on dietary patterns and food security among a sample of low-income children who have been exposed to the program for a period of three years. Previous research demonstrated the feasibility and preliminary program effectiveness.

NIH-NICHD 
09/01/2020 to 08/31/2023
Role: Principal Investigator 
Innovative Nutrition Practices in Pediatric Health Care: Assessment of a Fruit and Vegetable Prescription Program for Children in Need 
The goal of the project is to assess the influence of pediatric fruit and vegetable prescription programs (FVPP) on food security, child dietary patterns, and weight status. To do this, we will compare demographically similar pediatric patient groups from three large urban clinics based on their exposure to an FVPP: high exposure (>24 months), moderate exposure (12-24 months), and no previous exposure. We will then introduce the FVPP to never exposed patients and collect, record, and compare changes in dietary intake, food security, and weight status over time. Results will provide novel knowledge regarding the role of pediatric FVPP in addressing persistent barriers to access and affordability of fresh produce. 

Select Media Coverage

To schedule an appointment or request a comprehensive CV summarizing Dr. Saxe-Custack's achievements, email her at saxeamym@msu.edu.

Learn more about MSU-Hurley Children’s Hospital Pediatric Public Health Initiative nutrition programs online at nutrition.publichealth.msu.edu.

Scholarly Interests

  • The role of lifestyle and ecological factors in the risk, prevention, and management of diet-related health disparities and chronic diseases
  • Pediatric nutrition
  • Access to fresh foods

Publications

Connect

  • Flint Kids Cook Facebook Profile 
  • Email: saxeamym@msu.edu
  • Phone: 810-600-5656
  • Address:
    Charles Stewart Mott Department of Public Health, College of Human Medicine, Michigan State University
    200 East 1st Street
    Flint, MI 48502

Nutrition Website

nutrition.publichealth.msu.edu

Education

Doctor of Philosophy, Human Nutrition
Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI

Dietetic Internship,
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

Master of Public Health, Human Nutrition
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI

Bachelor of Science, Nutritional Sciences
Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI