Food Is Medicine: Making Nutritious Food Accessible To All

To thief commemorate National Public Health Week 2025, this publication is portion of a bid that explores policies, programs and considerations to amended organization health.

An individual’s wellness, aliases authorities of being successful bully health, is supported by a assortment of factors, including economical stability, vicinity and built environment, and acquisition entree and value – factors besides known arsenic social drivers of wellness (SDOH). Food insecurity, arsenic defined by nan U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), is constricted aliases uncertain entree to patient and safe foods, while food aliases nutrition security indicates entree to capable nutrient for an progressive and patient life. Nationally, 47 cardinal people, including 14 cardinal children, are nutrient insecure. Of those, historically marginalized populations often acquisition disparities astir nutritional entree and prime compounded by SDOH. Although evidence points to nutrition arsenic a captious contributor to overall wellness, galore populations look barriers compounded by SDOH successful seeking to entree healthy aliases nutrient- dense foods.

Food information and insecurity are measured successful ranges, pinch debased and very debased nutrient information indicating reduced fare assortment and nutritional value arsenic good arsenic disrupted eating patterns for illustration skipping meals. Those pinch debased income, who are geographically isolated, aliases who person constricted entree to value acquisition are more likely to acquisition nutrient insecurity, straight impacting wellness. This commentary explores wellness and puerility improvement implications of nutrient insecurity, national assistance nutrient information programs, and innovative approaches to summation entree to nutritious foods for each populations.

Food Insecurity and Associated Implications

Childhood hunger tin person profound impacts connected lifelong well-being. Children surviving successful poverty, astir 10 cardinal successful 2023, are more likely to acquisition immoderate shape of nutrient insecurity. In that aforesaid year, astir 14 cardinal children lived successful nutrient insecure homes, reinforcing conclusions drawn that hunger and national poorness levels are not ever connected.

Hunger tin exacerbate existing accent borne by susceptible populations. Hunger, like homelessness aliases vulnerability to violence, is categorized arsenic an adverse puerility acquisition (ACE) aliases perchance traumatic event, commonly tied to mediocre affectional and wellness outcomes later successful life. Hungry students often struggle to focus, make friends and modulate their emotions successful world settings. The effect of nutrient insecurity tin besides beryllium seen successful nan early moments of a child’s life, years earlier they measurement into a classroom. According to Zero to Three, 1 successful 7 households pinch a babe experiences nutrient insecurity. Additionally, infants and toddlers exposed to nutrient insecurity are more apt to experience debased birthweight, mediocre cognitive aliases beingness function, aliases hospitalization erstwhile compared to nutrient unafraid peers. This reinforces investigation indicating moreover short periods of puerility nutrient insecurity tin straight effect puerility health, behavioral issues and world readiness.

Food Security: Making Nutritious Food Accessible to All

There are respective longstanding programs operated successful business betwixt states, territories and national agencies to combat nutrient insecurity nationwide. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is nan largest nationalist programme that serves low-income families and individuals of each ages. Many related programs, including nan Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC); Child and Adult Food Care Program (CACFP); National School Lunch Program (NSLP); School Breakfast Program (SBP); and Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (S-EBT) specifically target children and families. Some programs connection nonstop nutrient purchasing assistance, for illustration money connected an EBT card, that allows consumers nan elasticity to bargain a paper of nutrient items astatine their preferred retailer. Other programs, for illustration nan National School Lunch Program and Child and Adult Food Care Program, supply benefits to community-facing organizations to alteration those organizations to service nutrient straight to circumstantial populations, for illustration in-school meals.

Governors’ offices proceed to maximize nan effect of national programs, create authorities aliases territory-based nutrient insecurity solutions, support section farmers, and limit entree barriers. Food information programs aimed astatine reducing proscription needs, supplementing financial burdens, and promoting nutrition acquisition mitigate societal drivers of wellness and their impacts connected organization entree and wellness outcomes. Related approaches admit investigation illustrating divers populations experiencing nutrient insecurity and nan request to merge culturally due accusation and organization partnerships successful programme improvement and implementation.

• Operating successful 49 states (e.g., Maryland, Montana, Nevada and Wisconsin), nan Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program is simply a constituent of WIC that intends to lessen proscription barriers and summation nutritional choice. Administrative agencies allocate money, nutrient acquisition resources and create farmers’ marketplace directories for recipients to acquisition caller fruits and vegetables astatine section farmers markets. Federal costs support each nutrient costs and 70% of programme administrative costs.
• USDA partners pinch tribal-serving organizations successful administering nan USDA Indigenous Food Sovereignty Initiative to beforehand culturally due nutrient entree (e.g., Indigenous Food successful School Meal Programs, Indigenous Animals Harvesting and Meat Processing Grant) and nutrition tailored to American Indian and Alaska Native dietary needs.
• The Senior Farmer’s Market Nutrition Program is different population-specific nutrient information programme for low-income adults 60 years and older, administered successful 57 agencies successful states, territories and federally recognized Indian Tribal Organizations. This programme increases entree to locally grown fruits, vegetables and herbs done farmers’ markets, roadside stands and organization supported agriculture programs. 
• Farm to Child and Adult Food Care Program operated successful states, including North Carolina and Virginia, increases entree to state-grown patient foods for children and adults. This programme links participating attraction and acquisition accommodation to section farmers and nutrient producers done incorporating locally grown nutrient done meals, nutrition education, tastes tests and farming opportunities.

State Programs

Outside of national funding, immoderate states and territories are pursuing opportunities to create programs supported by wide money dollars.

• In February 2025, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee proposed a authorities finance that would supply a one-time costs of $120 to eligible children enrolled successful SNAP and Temporary Assistance for Needy Family successful counties that are un- aliases under-served by nan national summertime nutrient program
• In January 2025, Delaware Governor Matt Meyer signed Executive Order #5, which established nan Delaware Council connected Farm and Food Policy pinch a charter to create a cross-agency strategy connected nutrient information to reside strategy gaps and amended nutrition statewide.

NGA Support

NGA is search nutrient information trends astatine nan authorities and national level and acknowledges imaginable national backing changes that could effect nan scope of disposable programs. The NGA Center for Best Practices will proceed to people resources, support method assistance requests, and big interactive webinars to cultivate a level for taxable matter experts and NGA members to stock experiences and champion practices . For much information, please interaction Jessica Kirchner (jkirchner@nga.org) aliases Asia Riviere (ariviere@nga.org). 

This publication was developed by Asia Riviere and Jessica Kirchner pinch nan National Governors Association Center for Best Practices.