OBJECTIVES: Although ample research supporting the positive effects nutrition interventions have on hospitalized patients exists, less is known about the role nutrition interventions play on the health outcomes of community-dwelling adults. This review paper aims to systematically evaluate the literature exploring the association between nutrition and health outcomes among community-based patients, including free-living individuals and home care residents. METHODS: PRISMA guidelines were followed for the literature review. Articles including original studies, pilot programs, and analytical reports of previously published papers were sourced from MEDLINE, EBSCO, Embase®, Foodline®: SCIENCE, and Google Scholar. After selection criteria were employed, only 24 of 401 (6.0%) articles were deemed eligible. RESULTS: Of the reviewed studies, majority explored nutritional interventions including oral nutritional supplementation (ONS), dietary advice, and nutritional counselling implemented for a minimum of 3 months. Majority of patients were free-living adults at-risk of or diagnosed with malnutrition. Most common study population were surgical patients; other populations included patients with oncology diagnosis, Alzheimer disease, gastrointestinal issues, chest infection, decompensated alcoholic liver disease, or disease-associated malnutrition complications. Among the improved health outcomes reported, anthropometric measures including less weight loss were the most common. Improved well-being/health status utilities, increased protein/energy intake, reduced readmission or postoperative morbidity or complications, and improved handgrip strength were frequently reported. Inconclusive results were reported regarding nutrition support impact on patient quality of life. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, nutrition interventions were found to have improved health outcomes among community-based patients. However, the reported studies are limited by their retrospective design, study setting heterogeneity, relatively small sample size, and lack of standardized measurements for assessing malnutrition and reported outcomes. Future research using more rigorous methods is needed to provide further support for the impact nutrition-based interventions can have on health outcomes of adults living in different community settings, and informing the design of new nutrition interventions.