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Protect Nutrition and Food Security for Millions

Food pantry

Nutrition security programs for millions of Americans are being threatened.

This year, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics launched a campaign to create awareness of budget proposals that threatened access to school meals, food assistance and vital nutrition and public health programs. Compelled to stand up and defend these programs, the Academy sent a letter to all members of Congress, signed by 20 organizations, urging immediate protection of food and nutrition programs.

The campaign was a catalyst for significant action and heightened visibility across the Academy's membership, the dietetics and health care community, and others who value these programs and initiatives.

We're not done. Continue to join us in this ongoing effort.

Academy Statement on Presidential Signing of Reconciliation Bill

20 Health Organizations Joined in Urging Congress to Protect Investments in Nutrition Security

logos of supporting organizations calling on Congress to protect nutrition security

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Why It Matters

There is overwhelming evidence that demonstrates current legislative and budgetary proposals will have harmful consequences to public health and none of them gets us closer to improving the health and nutrition security of Americans, which the Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture share as common goals. Learn more:

Direct certification with Medicaid  and SNAP streamlines access to free or reduced-priced school meals by automatically enrolling children from participating families without additional applications. This system effectively ensures vulnerable students get the nutrition they need while easing administrative burdens for schools.

For example:

  • 40% of SNAP-Ed participants increased fruit and vegetable intake and reduced consumption sugar-sweetened beverages in 2022.
  • 35% of SNAP-Ed participants became more physically active in 2022.

For nearly 30 years, every President has requested — and Congress has provided — full funding for WIC, ensuring all eligible families can access its evidence-based food packages tailored to their needs, nutrition education and breastfeeding support. The current proposal puts children at risk by taking healthy food off their plates.

The CDC’s Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity Prevention programs  have been responsible for monitoring the health of the U.S. population. Without that we will not be able to track our progress over time.

According to the CDC, between 2018 and 2023, CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity programs improved food access for more than 9 million people and increased opportunities for physical activity for more than 28 million people.

In 2022 and 2023, 5% of the entire NIH budget was spent on nutrition research. Cuts to this already small budget would prevent vital translational nutrition and health research from occurring.

The Institute of Child Nutrition (ICN) is the only federally funded national center dedicated to supporting applied research, education and training, and technical assistance for child nutrition programs. Eliminating ICN would dismantle technical assistance infrastructure and capacity at a time when child nutrition programs face unprecedented challenges.

USAID has consistently been, and is recognized as, the global bilateral leader in advancing policies and programs throughout the lower income world toward achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goal to eliminate hunger by 2030.

How You Can Support Ongoing Efforts

Take Action Today!

Contact Congress

Complete our Action Alerts to contact your members of Congress. Tell them your story and let them know you’re standing up to protect nutrition and food security.
Complete Action Alerts
Feeding America fundraiser with Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

The Academy is partnering with Feeding America to raise funds, awareness, education and opportunities for our communities to get involved in the mission of ending hunger in the United States and Puerto Rico.
Support This Effort
write a letter to the editor

Use this customizable letter to the editor to make your voice heard in your community and beyond. Plus, get more guidance on writing and submitting your letter.
Letter to the Editor Template
stand with us on nutrition security support

We’re inviting other organizations to stand with us to protect nutrition and food security. If your organization is interested in joining our efforts, send us an email.
Email Us

"Food and nutrition are central to any public health strategy. We have decades of evidence showing that nutrition interventions work, and registered dietitian nutritionists working alongside stakeholders are essential to delivering those results. Programs like SNAP-Ed, school meals and nutrition research are not experiments; they’re proven tools that improve health outcomes, reduce healthcare costs and support our communities. But we also recognize there’s still more to learn. That’s why we must protect proven solutions and continue to invest in nutrition research, because without these critical initiatives millions are at greater risk of poor health and going hungry."

Deanne Brandstetter, MBA, RDN, CDN, FAND

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics President, 2025-2026

More Information

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