THE FOLLOWING RELEASE IS FROM CONGRESSWOMAN ROBIN KELLY’S OFFICE
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Reps. Robin Kelly (IL-02) and Jen Kiggans (VA-02) introduced a bipartisan bill to support Food is Medicine programs, which improve health outcomes through nutrition while lowering healthcare costs.
The Fueling Optimal Outcomes through Diet (FOOD) for Health Act helps alleviate diet-related diseases through produce prescriptions, on-site food pantries, culinary education, and medically tailored meals. Americans spend nearly $1.1 trillion every year to treat diet-related diseases like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, certain cancers, and cardiovascular disease. Food insecurity and food deserts contribute to the cause of these diseases by forcing low-income families to rely on cheap, but often less nutritious, foods.
“Many of my constituents in urban, suburban, and rural areas live closer to a fast-food restaurant than a grocery store. They don’t have access to nutritious food that best fuel our bodies and minds,” said Rep. Kelly. “I’m confronting these challenges and expanding access to nutrition through Food is Medicine programs. The best medicine is preventative medicine – and that includes food.”
“Prioritizing proper nutrition and expanding access to healthy foods is critical to addressing our nation’s obesity epidemic and growing prevalence of chronic illness. As a nurse practitioner, I understand the vital role that Food is Medicine programs play in improving health outcomes,” said Rep. Kiggans. “The FOOD for Health Act confronts this issue head-on by increasing access to these programs while enhancing on-site food pantries and promoting education on proper nutrition. I’m proud to join Rep. Kelly on these efforts to strengthen preventative care, improve public health, and ensure more Americans have access to the nutritious foods they need to live healthier lives.”
The FOOD for Health Act directs the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of Health and Human Services to provide grants to Food is Medicine programs that prioritize local foods and regional diversity. The bill would authorize $20 million through fiscal year 2031 and require an initial report to Congress analyzing the efficiency and impact on patient outcomes and system costs.
The FOOD for Health Act is endorsed by Dion’s Chicago Dream and Cosmic Crate, Greater Chicago Food Depository, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and Think Regeneration.
“For too long, our healthcare system has treated diet-related disease as inevitable instead of preventable. Food is not just sustenance; it is one of the most powerful tools we have to improve health outcomes, reduce healthcare costs, and restore dignity to families navigating chronic illness,” said Dion Dawson, Chief Dream and CEO of Dion’s Chicago Dream and Cosmic Crate. “Congresswoman Robin Kelly’s FOOD for Health Act recognizes what communities and practitioners across the country already know: when fresh, nutritious food is integrated into care, lives change. Through our work delivering millions of pounds of fresh produce directly to households, we’ve seen firsthand that access to healthy food can stabilize health, strengthen families, and transform entire communities. This legislation is an important step toward making Food is Medicine a permanent and scalable part of our healthcare system.”
“For the neighbors we serve in Chicago and suburban Cook County, food is not purely sustenance; food is medicine,” said Kate Maehr, Executive Director and CEO of the Greater Chicago Food Depository. “Many of those we serve are experiencing the stress of food insecurity at the same time as having to manage a chronic condition such as diabetes, hypertension, or obesity. We know that having reliable and consistent access to healthy food improves health outcomes. We applaud Congresswoman Robin Kelly for her leadership on the FOOD for Health Act, which will support Food is Medicine programs and ensure food banks and other community-based partners have an opportunity to participate.”
“The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics applauds the FOOD for Health Act for advancing the integration of nutrition into health care and expanding access to nutritious food alongside qualified nutrition expertise,” said Deanne Brandstetter, President of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. “Registered dietitian nutritionists experience every day the impact food and nutrition have in preventing and managing a wide range of chronic and acute conditions as they deliver evidence-based nutrition care and medical nutrition therapy within interprofessional care teams. This legislation strengthens partnerships between health care providers and community organizations, improving patient outcomes and helping reduce long-term health care costs.”
“We can reverse chronic disease in this country and scale regenerative farming at the same time,” said Ryan Slabaugh at Think Regeneration. “Our food-is-medicine pilot project in 2025-2026 in Pembroke Township gave us proof: connecting community members with Type II diabetes to local food hubs and organic farms changed lives for the better for everyone involved—including the farmers. Congressional support to expand these pilot programs are exactly what we need.”
