Food is Medicine: A Project to Unify and Advance Collective Action

A diverse group of people work together in a commercial kitchen; in the foreground two people dice carrots and green onions to add to a baking dish.

The White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health — held in September 2022 — renewed national attention and issued a call to action to end hunger and reduce the prevalence of chronic disease in the United States by 2030.

Food is Medicine approaches that focus on integrating consistent access to diet- and nutrition- related resources are a critical component to achieve this goal. The approaches are increasingly present across many communities and systems. There’s also increasing federal investment and action to support Food is Medicine approaches in a variety of settings.

Building on this collective energy, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) developed a Food is Medicine initiative in response to a congressionally funded initiative in fiscal year 2023. This congressional action directed the Secretary of HHS, in consultation with other federal agencies, to develop and implement a federal strategy to reduce nutrition-related chronic diseases and food insecurity to improve health and racial equity in the United States. This includes diet-related research and programmatic efforts that will increase access to Food is Medicine initiatives.

Understanding the Connection Between Food and Health

Access to nutritious food is critical to health and resilience. Food is Medicine is a concept that reaffirms this connection, recognizing that access to high-quality nourishment is essential for well-being. By supporting the production of and facilitating access to nutritious food across a health continuum and range of settings, approaches to Food is Medicine support immediate and long-term resources for people, communities, and systems.

Nutrition Security and Health: By the Numbers

HHS Approach

HHS will work collaboratively with federal partners and external organizations and communities to develop resources that can be used to advance Food is Medicine approaches across the country.

Our plans include the following steps:

1. Listen to Communities and Implementation Partners

2. Cultivate Partnerships with Cross-Sector Leaders

3. Develop Resources to Support Broad Uptake

Please note that this webpage will be updated with tools and resources as the initiative progresses.

Examples of Current HHS Food is Medicine Activities and Practice Resources