What to Know: A National Hospital Food Pledge

August 17, 2026

Federal health agency leaders this month provided an update on a new voluntary initiative to support healthy food options in U.S. hospitals.

Here’s what you need to know:

• Background:  Announced earlier this year, the Make Hospital Food Healthier Pledge “encourages hospitals to reduce highly processed foods, prioritize nutrient-dense meals, and align patient nutrition with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans."
• Latest news:  The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced that three systems had signed onto the voluntary pledge: Corewell Health in Michigan; Houston Methodist in Texas; and Sanford Health in South Dakota.
• Learn more:  Additional information about the nationwide effort is available online.
• Quotable:  “We are committed to helping hospitals—as clinically appropriate and feasible—ensure that patients have access to nourishing meals, including by sharing this voluntary pledge with the hospital field and encouraging them to review it and give it serious consideration,” said American Hospital Association President and CEO Rick Pollack in a statement.

HAP and Pennsylvania’s hospitals continue to focus on improving the health of their communities, which includes prioritizing health food options in health care facilities. Learn more about the HAP-supported Good Food, Healthy Hospitals initiative, which helps Pennsylvania hospitals increase offerings of nutritious, locally sourced foods for patients, staff, and visitors.