HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is pushing to expand the Dietary Guidelines for Americans into hospitals, integrating federal nutrition standards into patient care.

On March 30, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), led by Dr. Mehmet Oz, sent a memo directing hospitals to align their meals with the guidelines by reducing ultraprocessed foods, sugar-sweetened beverages, refined carbohydrates and added sugars.

Kennedy reportedly shared that Oz’s memo effectively acts like a federal mandate, as hospitals may need to follow the dietary guidelines to maintain funding.

DR OZ BLASTS ‘WHITE FOODS’ AS OBESITY DRIVERS AS FEDERAL DIETARY GUIDELINES CONTINUE TO MAKE WAVES

Most hospital menus rely heavily on convenience foods, according to Dr. Hamid Khan, chief medical officer of Jorie AI, a healthcare revenue service.

“Patients are often served items such as pasta, processed deli meats, packaged snacks with artificial components, sugary desserts, cereals, juice and soda,” he told Fox News Digital. 

“Although many hospitals have begun the implementation of ‘healthier options,’ the average menu still tends to prioritize low cost, long shelf life and ease of preparation over nutrition.”

Larger concerns include high sugar and sodium levels, processed ingredients and refined carbohydrates in hospital foods, Khan said. “There seems to be a lack of high-quality protein, fresh fruits, vegetables and healthy fats,” he added.

“The average hospital menu still tends to prioritize low cost, long shelf life and ease of preparation over nutrition.”

Khan said he has seen patients order their meals from Grubhub, DoorDash or Uber Eats because they felt the hospital menu options were not healthy enough.

“Most of the hospital meals do not provide adequate nutrients … to properly support healing, muscle maintenance, immunity or overall recovery,” he told Fox News Digital.

“Poor nutrition only makes things worse for this patient pool,” Khan went on. “Ultimately, poor nutrition is very harmful for elderly patients and people with chronic illnesses. They are at a higher risk for muscle loss, weakness, delayed healing, infection and re-infection.”

Celebrity chef and restaurateur Geoffrey Zakarian is partnering with Tampa General Hospital in Florida to transform hospital dining, introducing Mediterranean diet–inspired meals for patients.

Zakarian told Fox News Digital that hospital food is often a mix of “high desire, low-value and low-nutrition food,” typically priced to meet a strict per-plate cost that hospitals cannot exceed.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIES

“[There is] very little emphasis on original, pasture-raised proteins and fats like eggs, whole dairy grass-fed beef and poultry, and unprocessed vegetables,” he said.

In Tampa, Zakarian has been working since 2023 to eliminate all processed foods — removing items containing hormones, added sugars, seed oils and anything prepackaged.

“All the food originates from farms and gardens in and around Tampa,” he said, calling the mission “Farm to Gurney.”

Sec. Kennedy and CMS administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz announced a similar initiative at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in Miami.

Vani Hari, known as the “Food Babe,” told Fox News Digital that this is the first time leaders in Washington are openly acknowledging that food is medicine.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“The fact that they had to send a memo reminding hospitals of that tells you everything about how broken the system is,” said Hari, who is based in North Carolina. “People are at their most vulnerable in a hospital bed – and for decades, nobody in charge seemed to care what they were eating.”

Medicare and Medicaid fund the majority of inpatient services, including at least half of inpatient days at 96% of hospitals and two-thirds or more at 80% of hospitals, according to the American Hospital Association (AHA).

An AHA spokesperson told Fox News Digital that hospitals recognize nutritious food is an essential part of healing and recovery. 

“They are deeply committed to providing patients with high‑quality, nutritious meals that meet clinical standards, individual dietary needs and federal guidance,” said the spokesperson. 

TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ

Hospital teams collaborate with registered dietitians and clinical staff to make sure each patient receives meals tailored to their medical needs and recovery plan, according to the AHA.

The spokesperson also said the organization regularly evaluates current evidence-based nutrition recommendations and integrates them into meal programs.

“Beyond the hospital walls, we partner with community organizations to expand access to nutritious food, provide education on healthy eating, and support initiatives that promote long‑term wellness,” they added.

After a minor stroke, there are several risk factors that can predict another event, according to new research.

A study published in the journal Circulation by the American Heart Association investigated what happens after someone has a transient ischemic attack (TIA), also known as a “mini-stroke.”

This was a follow-up to the previous PERSIST study, which found that stroke risk persisted after the typical 90-day monitoring window.

NEARLY 90% OF AMERICANS AT RISK OF SILENT DISEASE — HERE’S WHAT TO KNOW

The Canada-based researchers measured long-term risk, finding that individuals who experience a minor stroke face an elevated chance of a recurrence for at least 10 years.

The systemic review included 28 observational studies with more than 86,000 participants who were followed for at least one year after experiencing a minor stroke. The median age was 69 and 57% of them were men.

The review identified the following five key factors that may predict another stroke.

1. Hypertension (high blood pressure) is the most important modifiable risk factor for stroke, according to the American Stroke Association.
2. Smoking is another leading modifiable cause, roughly doubling the risk of a repeat stroke, per the above source.
3. Cardioembolism is a type of stroke that occurs when a blood clot forms in the heart and travels to the brain, according to medical experts. This event has a high risk of recurrence compared to other types of strokes.
4. Large-artery atherosclerotic stroke occurs when plaque builds up in major arteries, reducing blood flow or sending clots to the brain. It also has a high risk of recurrent stroke, especially in the first days or weeks after the initial event, according to experts.
5. Small-vessel disease is a type of stroke that causes damage to the brain’s small penetrating arteries, often due to chronic hypertension and aging. It has a significant risk of recurrence over time, although lower than the previous two types.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE HEALTH STORIES

Older age was also associated with a higher risk.

The researchers said these results can help doctors spot patients who have a long-term risk of stroke, so they can keep a closer eye on them, provide the right treatment, and create more focused ways to prevent strokes.

Cardiologist Bibhu D. Mohanty, MD, cardiovascular sciences associate professor at University of South Florida, Morsani College of Medicine, was not involved in the research but discussed the findings with Fox News Digital.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

“This is an interesting meta-analysis that is well-performed technically, in seeking to address a challenging question in a population that is demonstrating early signs of significant stroke risk,” he said.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER

Identifying risk factors is an important first step in identifying “actionable intervention,” according to Mohanty.

“Now that we know what they are, what can we do about them?” he questioned. “As a medical community, we are all aware that there is considerable overlap in modification of brain health and heart health.”

The cardiologist said he treats many stroke patients, but was surprised by how many had cardioembolic strokes — caused by clots that form in the heart — on top of common vascular risk factors like high blood pressure and artery plaque.

TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ

“From both a clinician and patient perspective, this highlights the importance of seeking collaborative insight and decision-making among cardiologists and neurologists when comprehensively managing patients with stroke or stroke risk,” he added.

Fox News Digital reached out to the study authors for comment.

Use left and right arrow keys to navigate between menu items.

Use escape to exit the menu.