Food for thought — and health. The right diet for patients can improve outcomes and reduce costs.

As a physician who cares for hundreds of patients with heart failure every year, I’m frequently humbled when, despite my best efforts, patients shuttle between hospital and home. I track the emergence of new drugs and telemedicine programs that promise to break the cycle, but recent research suggests that doctors like me should consider a tastier and potentially more ­cost-effective treatment: food.