Veterans Nutrition and Wellness Act of 2025

This bill would start a three-year “Food is Medicine” pilot at the Department of Veterans Affairs. The VA would give eligible veterans medically tailored meals and groceries, along with nutrition education and cooking classes. It would also train VA health providers to include food support in care plans and partner with local groups, like food banks and farms, to bring in fresh, local produce.

Key points

• Who is affected: Veterans enrolled in VA health care who have multiple chronic conditions (such as diabetes, cancer, or heart failure), or who are receiving maternal health care and are at risk of preeclampsia or gestational diabetes.
• What changes: The VA provides medically tailored meals and groceries, nutrition and cooking classes, training for VA providers, and partnerships with community groups; the program must be spread across different regions and the VA must report each year on participation, health outcomes, quality of life, health care use, and cost savings, with recommendations for improvements.
• When: The VA must launch the pilot within 180 days after the bill becomes law, and the authority ends three years after enactment. Funding is authorized for fiscal years 2025–2028 to run the program, hire dietitians and nutrition specialists, support research and evaluations, and build local partnerships.

Medically tailored groceries means nutritious foods chosen to fit a person’s treatment plan for a diet-sensitive condition, and medically tailored meals means customized meals for someone with a severe chronic condition or limits in daily activities.