More than 250 hospitals nationwide have signed a new voluntary pledge from the Department of Health and Human Services aimed at improving the food served to patients.
The hospitals are committing to reducing ultra-processed foods, sugary drinks, sodium and added sugars while offering more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and minimally processed proteins.
The pledge also encourages hospitals to provide healthier options for employees and visitors, along with nutrition education that patients can use after they return home.
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is urging more hospitals to join.
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“Hospitals have a responsibility to promote health in every part of patient care, including the food they serve,” said Secretary Kennedy. “More than 250 hospitals are taking action to improve nutrition for their patients, staff, and communities. I am calling on every hospital in America to join them, sign the pledge, and help make healthy food a standard part of health care.”
HHS said it started inviting hospitals nationwide to serve healthier meals that align with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
The guidelines, published every five years, place greater emphasis on meat and fat sources, such as butter, and less on whole grains and plant-based proteins, such as beans. The latest guidelines were published in January.
The report advises adults to consume 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily. For example, a 200-pound person should eat between 109 and 146 grams of protein each day. Previous recommendations from the Food and Drug Administration for a person that weight were about 73 grams.
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The new guidelines also put more emphasis on whole foods — unprepared fruits, vegetables, meats and dairy — and less on ultraprocessed and prepackaged items. The guidelines help shape policy and influence menus for school lunches, Meals on Wheels and other federally funded food programs.
Reducing ultraprocessed foods has widespread support, but some parts of the new guidelines have faced criticism — notably the potential increase in saturated fat consumption, which scientists say can raise the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Kennedy’s department largely ignored a panel of experts who favored plant-based proteins such as beans and lentils. However, the new guidelines retain the recommendation to limit saturated fat to no more than 10% of daily calories.
