Healthy Eating Research

10/09/2026

Grocery stores give more food to food banks than any other source, about 35% of what's distributed.

As more food banks ask for healthier donations, new research from the Center for Science in the Public Interest asked grocery industry staff what helps and what gets in the way. Reliable pickups, cold storage, and strong partnerships with local food banks all made a difference.

Read more:

Triple Bottom Line: Retail Perspectives on Nutritious Food Donations SHARE Share with Email PRINT Updated: September 23, 2026 Hispanolistic - stock.adobe.com. Affording food has become increasingly challenging for many households, and at the same time food banks are experiencing a greater demand for...

10/07/2026

A new standard is giving food banks and health care partners a shared language for medically tailored groceries. Feeding America, with review from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, has released nutrition standards for groceries prescribed to people with diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease.

HER's 2020 nutrition guidelines for the charitable food system are the foundation for the new standard. The guidelines sort foods into "Choose Often," "Choose Sometimes," and "Choose Rarely" based on sodium, saturated fat, and sugar.

We're excited to see the guidelines continuing to have an impact. Learn more about the new standard:

09/15/2026

Public Health Communications Collaborative has created a fantastic resource that breaks down what people need to know about ultraprocessed foods: what makes a food ultraprocessed, what research says about their potential health impacts, and practical tips to help people make informed food choices.

Check it out here: https://publichealthcollaborative.org/resources/understanding-ultra-processed-foods/

Last Updated: August 11, 2026

09/08/2026

New data show a major decline in SNAP participation across the country.

According to the latest analysis from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, SNAP participation fell by roughly 5 million people, or 12%, between July 2025 and May 2026. Participation has fallen in every state except Alaska, and the number of children receiving SNAP has also declined substantially in the states with available data.

The new SNAP Tracker provides state-level data and will continue to be updated as more information becomes available. Explore the data:

SNAP participation nationwide fell by more than 4.5 million people (nearly 11 percent) between the law’s July 2025 enactment and April 2026, based on the latest month of data.

09/03/2026

The Food Research & Action Center has compiled an overview of research on SNAP and its impacts on food security, nutrition, health, and well-being.

For policymakers and public health professionals, the report offers an important foundation for understanding SNAP as a program with broad health implications.

Read the report:

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the largest nutrition assistance program in the U.S. Administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), SNAP is the nation’s first line of public policy defense against hunger and undernutrition. FRAC’s report examines the growing b...

09/01/2026

Ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) have become a growing focus of public health research and policy, in part due to an increasing body of evidence suggesting that diets high in UPFs are associated with poor health outcomes.

To limit harms from UPF, we need a consistent definition, which is why this spring HER released recommendations for how to define UPFs for policy.

In our latest blog post we break down frequently asked questions about UPFs and our report, such as:
• What makes a food ultraprocessed?
• How can HER’s definition work for policy?
• What comes next?

Read the full post here: https://healthyeatingresearch.org/2026/08/defining-ultraprocessed-foods-5-questions-answered/

August 25, 2026 | Building Evidence to Prevent Childhood Obesity | Defining Ultraprocessed Foods: 5 Questions Answered

08/14/2026

New! We're pleased to share this resource, developed in partnership with Public Health Communications Collaborative, about understanding ultraprocessed foods.

It explains what ultraprocessed foods are and what research says about their potential health impacts, and offers practical tips to help people make informed food choices.

https://publichealthcollaborative.org/resources/understanding-ultra-processed-foods/

08/13/2026

A new forecasting model developed by Westat and the National WIC Association projects WIC participation, food costs, and funding needs for FY 2027 and beyond.

Explore the policy brief and technical report: https://healthyeatingresearch.org/research/forecasting-wic-funding-needs-supporting-families-strengthening-access-2/

07/30/2026

Students don't miss this one! Join HER and NOPREN for the next session of the 2026 Summer Speaker Series for Students. The topic for the August 5 session is "Career Paths in Public Health Nutrition."

Register here:

May 12, 2026 | Building Evidence to Prevent Childhood Obesity | 2026 HER NOPREN Summer Speaker Series for Students

07/16/2026

Join HER and NOPREN for the next session of the 2026 Summer Speaker Series for Students. The topic for the July 22 session is "Food Policies in Schools."

Register here:

May 12, 2026 | Building Evidence to Prevent Childhood Obesity | 2026 HER NOPREN Summer Speaker Series for Students