Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz called upon hospitals to join the effort to make their food healthier, stating that “hospitals should be places of healing.”
In a video posted to X, Kennedy announced that they were calling for hospitals to “commit to serving healthier minimally processed food” and putting nutrition back “at the center of patient care.” Kennedy also announced that they were calling for hospitals to take the voluntary, Make Hospital Food Healthier Food Pledge.
“Today, we’re launching the Make Hospital Food Healthier Pledge and calling on hospitals across America to join us,” Kennedy said. “Hospitals should be places of healing, that includes the food they serve. Patients deserve meals made with real nutritious ingredients that support recovery, not highly processed foods that contribute to the chronic disease crisis.”
Under the pledge, hospitals will commit to limiting the amount of “ultra-processed food and sugar-sweetened beverages” served, according to a press release from HHS.
Instead of deep-frying foods, hospitals will also bake, broil, roast, grill, or stir-fry the food served to patients, and will also “limit processed meats and foods high in added sugars, sodium, and artificial additives.”
Hospitals will also commit to prioritizing serving “minimally processed proteins, including plant-based options.”
“Thanks to President Trump and the new dietary guidelines spearheaded by Secretary Kennedy, real food like high-quality protein and full-fat dairy is at the center of the American diet,” Oz said. “We recently issued a reminder that any hospital which receives Medicare — which is virtually all of them, must ensure our inpatient meals meet individual nutritional needs.”
In January, the Trump administration shared its “reformed dietary guidelines for Americans” until 2030. The new dietary guidelines focus on a “diet rich in protein, dairy, healthy fat, fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.”
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