Press Releases

Representative Gwen Moore Leads Legislation to Establish Medically Tailored Meal Program for Veterans, Supporting Chronic Disease Management and Wellbeing

The Veterans Nutrition and Wellness Act of 2025 would offer enhanced nutritional food options to veterans through a “food as medicine” health care approach. The bill directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish and carry out a pilot program to administer medically tailored meals and groceries to eligible veterans.

This bipartisan bill is cosponsored by Reps. Gwen Moore (D-WI), Vern Buchanan (FL-16), and Greg Murphy, MD (R-NC). Moore and Buchanan are co-Chairs of the bipartisan Congressional Preventive Health and Wellness Caucus. The caucus works to bring awareness to this country’s health care challenges, including the burgeoning obesity epidemic and help promote and advance policy-centric solutions.

“The Veterans Nutrition and Wellness Act honors our nation’s commitment to ensuring our heroes receive high quality, effective health services. It would create a pilot program at the VA to provide access to medically tailored meals that can help veterans manage certain chronic diseases and improve their wellbeing. This pilot program recognizes that nutrition care is a critical part of health care. For example, we know that access to good nutrition can be critical to maternal health outcomes, and I am particularly pleased that this program would include those seeking maternal care at the VA,” said Rep. Moore.

“Our nation’s veterans have sacrificed so much for our country, and we must ensure they have access to the full range of care and benefits they have earned and deserve,” said Rep. Buchanan. “Veterans experience higher rates of chronic illness than the general population, making it critical to explore innovative health care solutions like the ‘food as medicine’ approach. My bill honors their sacrifice and works to improve their health and well-being.”

U.S. veterans have worse health outcomes than non-veterans and are more likely to suffer from chronic diseases. Previous studies have found that obesity, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, skin cancer and other cancers are statistically greater among veterans than non-veterans. Veterans are also more likely to have multiple chronic diseases than non-veterans according to a 2015–2018 National Health Interview Survey.