Healthy Foods

The American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) supports the continued development of sustainable systems that promote natural resource conservation while ensuring easy, equitable access to affordable and nutritious foods, particularly among populations vulnerable to food insecurity. The AAFP also supports sustained funding for evidence-based policies and programs to eliminate disparities in healthy food access, including the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the Special Supplemental Nutritional Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), child nutrition programs like the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and National School Lunch/Breakfast Programs, and federal food distribution programs. Programs should align with digital advertising and marketing best practices for promoting healthy food options, and use nutrition guidelines that are evidence-based, culturally competent and enable individuals to achieve health at all life stages. The Academy also supports state and federal initiatives and coverage of programs that use food as medicine, including as an evidence-informed approach to improving health outcomes.

Family physicians play an important role in counseling patients on nutrition and healthy behaviors across the lifespan. Family physicians are also uniquely positioned to identify individuals in need of support and connect them to valuable allied health professionals and other community resources. A healthy whole-food diet is one that includes a wide variety of foods that provide the appropriate level of nutrients. For people living with chronic health conditions, healthy foods can help promote disease management, treatment compliance, and reduce the reliance on prescription medications. The AAFP supports dietary guidance that is grounded in robust scientific evidence and encourages public health policies that promote healthy dietary patterns and reduce dietary risk for chronic disease, including attention to nutrition composition while maintaining focus on equal access to nutritious foods for all. (2013 COD) (April 2026 BOD)