To highlight key themes and identify under-researched areas in studies that look at specialized nutritious foods, the authors analyzed 142 manuscripts published from January 2011 to July 2018 and 33 clinical trials active as of July 2018. All focused on rural Africa and most dealt with the effectiveness of specialized products in addressing a narrow range of nutrition outcomes. The authors conclude that more research is needed on specialized nutritious food programming, particularly in emergency and humanitarian contexts and urban settings, in prevention of nutritional deficits, and in cost-effectiveness of alternative approaches, among others.