By Stacy Bates, MS, RDN, SPAN Health Strategies
More health tech products touch food: apps that score groceries, platforms that connect people with dietitians, tools for GLP-1 users, Food as Medicine payment and redemption systems. Many are built by strong technical teams with limited nutrition or retail experience. That gap shows up later as credibility problems, slow partnerships or a business model that doesn't hold.
I've worked with digital nutrition platforms as a practicing dietitian and in strategic roles for a large food retailer, and I currently serve as a fractional nutrition executive for a health tech company and consult on commercialization and business strategy across the health tech space. Here's where startups most often need help.
1. Clinical credibility
If your product makes nutrition recommendations, someone will ask what they're based on. Health systems, plans and retailers expect:
Recommendations grounded in current evidence and dietary guidance
Credentialed experts, such as registered dietitians, involved in design and review
Clear explanations of how scores, ratings or plans are calculated
A nutrition scoring model, for example, should be transparent about its method and tested against how experts would judge the same foods.
2. A realistic path to revenue
Consumer subscriptions alone rarely carry a health tech or nutrition app product. Most sustainable models combine several buyers:
Health plans and employers pay for member engagement and better health outcomes. They want proof that people use the product and that it moves measures they track.
Health systems pay for ways to support patients between visits. A nutrition tool that extends the care team's reach, without adding work for clinicians, is easier to adopt.
Grocery retailers pay for shopper loyalty, health programs and data insights. They want products that bring shoppers back and help them understand what health-focused customers buy.
Food brands pay for credible reach and insight into health-focused shoppers. They value platforms that connect their products to real nutrition guidance, not just ad placements.
Each buyer evaluates you differently. Your positioning and proof points need to fit each one.
3. Retail and food industry fluency
If your product touches grocery, you need to understand how retailers make decisions, how product data works and what brands value. Startups that speak this language get partnerships faster.
4. Communications that build trust
Overpromising on health outcomes can hurt with clinicians, regulators and partners. Clear, accurate messaging, written for each audience, does more than hype.
Where to get help
SPAN Health Strategies helps health tech startups with nutrition strategy, clinical credibility, positioning and partnerships with retailers, brands and health care organizations. We offer project work, advisory roles and fractional leadership. Contact us to talk about your product.