White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health — A Nutritionist’s Review
On Wednesday, September 28, 2022, the White House held a Food, Nutrition and Health conference. As a nutritionist that does not advocate for MyPlate recommendations (the USDA’s dietary food guidelines), or a plant-based diet, here are some thoughts that I took away from the conference and the upcoming Hunger, Nutrition, and Health Strategy.
At the core of it, we can make noble efforts to help the poor and underserved communities, but it is a fruitless effort unless we change the U.S. nutritional recommendations.
The History
President Richard Nixon hosted the only White House Conference on Food, Nutrition and Health in 1969. This conference influenced the U.S. food policy for the next 50 years. Some outcomes from the first White House Conference on Food, Nutrition and Health:
- Expansion of food stamps
- Rise to Women, Infants, and Children’s program (WIC)
- Food stamps, currently known as SNAP: the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
- Increased outreach for breastfeeding support, parenting advice and food assistance
- Changes to food labeling
