# Veterans Nutrition and Wellness Act of 2025

This bill creates a new program called "Food is Medicine" that would provide specially designed meals and groceries to veterans dealing with serious health conditions. The Department of Veterans Affairs would have six months to set up this pilot program, which would focus on veterans enrolled in VA healthcare who have multiple chronic diseases like diabetes, cancer, or heart failure, as well as pregnant veterans at risk of complications like preeclampsia or gestational diabetes.

Here's what the program would actually do for eligible veterans: they'd receive customized meals prepared according to their specific medical needs and personalized grocery packages designed to support their treatment plans. Veterans would also get nutrition education and cooking classes taught by registered dietitians, nutritionists, and community health workers. The VA would also train its own doctors and healthcare providers on how to incorporate this nutrition support into veterans' overall treatment. Additionally, the program would partner with local food banks and farming organizations to source fresh, locally-grown produce and expand access to these medically-tailored meals and groceries.

The pilot program would run for three years across multiple regions to ensure veterans in different parts of the country can participate. Each year, the VA would report to Congress on how many veterans are using the program, whether their health is improving, and whether the program is saving money for the VA. The bill authorizes funding for fiscal years 2025 through 2028 to cover the cost of meals, hiring nutrition specialists, and building partnerships with community organizations. The idea behind this approach is that proper nutrition tailored to a veteran's specific health condition could help manage their diseases better, potentially reducing hospital visits and improving their overall quality of life.

Veterans Nutrition and Wellness Act of 2025

Buchanan, Vern

Veterans Nutrition and Wellness Act of 2025This bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish and implement the Food is Medicine pilot program, under which the VA must provide medically&nbsp;tailored meals and groceries, nutrition education, and cooking classes to certain veterans who are enrolled in the VA health care system. Specifically, the program is for veterans enrolled in the VA health care system who receive VA care for (1) multiple chronic conditions, or (2) maternal health and are at risk of&nbsp;preeclampsia or gestational diabetes.The three-year pilot program also requires the VA to (1) develop and seek to implement training programs for VA health care providers in integrating the program into the treatment plans of veterans, and (2) seek to collaborate with community-based organizations to procure&nbsp;locally&nbsp;sourced produce and expand the availability of medically&nbsp;tailored meals and groceries.