Over 250 Hospitals Commit to Healthier Meals Under RFK Jr.'s 'Make Hospital Food Healthier Pledge'

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced on October 26, 2026, that more than 250 hospitals nationwide have signed the voluntary Make Hospital Food Healthier Pledge, committing to serve more nutritious food aligned with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. made the announcement at Corewell Health in Grand Rapids, Michigan, calling on all U.S. hospitals to join and emphasizing that hospitals have a responsibility to promote health through patient nutrition as part of the Trump administration's Make America Healthy Again agenda.[1][2]

The pledge, launched in July 2026 by HHS and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), requires signatories to limit ultra-processed foods and sugar-sweetened beverages, eliminate deep-fried items, prioritize whole grains over refined ones, reduce processed meats and foods high in added sugars/sodium/artificial additives, and favor baking, broiling, roasting, or grilling. Hospitals are also encouraged to provide nutrition education for discharge planning and extend healthier options to staff and visitors.[3][4]

Early adopters include Tampa General Hospital (the first to sign), Corewell Health, Houston Methodist, Sanford Health, and more recent participants such as multiple Cleveland Clinic facilities, SSM Health, and others. Corewell Health CEO Tina Freese Decker highlighted patient outcomes, including one diabetes/hypertension patient who lost 70 pounds and reduced medications through nutrition-focused care. Patient satisfaction improvements have already been noted at Tampa General.[5][6]

The initiative builds on prior CMS guidance reminding hospitals of Medicare requirements for individualized nutrition. Challenges include cost increases for sourcing better ingredients, though HHS has engaged suppliers like Sysco to expand options, with the growing number of participants expected to influence the marketplace. The American Hospital Association has supported the focus on nutrition, with its leaders' health systems among the early signers.[7][8]

A full list of participating organizations is available on the HHS pledge site, and hospitals may display a new 'Committed to Excellence in Hospital Nutrition' badge.