Is RFK Jr Coming Round To The Idea Of Plant-Based Protein?

Could RFK Jr be coming round to the idea of plant-based protein?

US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Junior, widely known as RFK Jr, has announced the “Make Hospital Food Healthy Again Pledge,” which recommends “plant-sourced protein foods” like legumes and soy in hospital meals.

Read more: Planetary Health Diet Cuts Heart Disease Risk By 28%, Finds 20-Year Study

Does the Make Hospital Food Healthy Again Pledge promote plant-based foods?

The new Make Hospital Food Healthy Again Pledge “challenges” hospitals to “put nutrition at the center of care” by cutting back on ultra-processed foods and serving “minimally processed” animal-derived and plant-based foods instead.

Hospitals that wish to pledge can commit to “review the latest nutrition science and use evidence-based dietary practices to strengthen food service programs.” The form also states that, by signing, “hospitals can support recovery, improve patient outcomes, reduce complications, and help build healthier communities.”

In March, RFK Jr told hospitals that they must align menus with his meat-heavy and widely criticized Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs) – the basis of the hospital pledge – or risk losing access to funding, as reported by Politico at the time.

The DAGs also recommend that people consume “a variety of plant-sourced protein foods, including beans, peas, lentils, legumes, nuts, seeds, and soy,” and whole, plant-based foods. They even include specific recommendations for vegans and vegetarians, though they highlight so-called “nutrient gaps” in meat-free diets.

Red meat, full-fat dairy, eggs, poultry, and seafood are the cornerstone of the updated DAGs and make up the largest part of RFK Jr’s inverted food pyramid. This reflects the increased emphasis on animal products by the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) under RFK Jr’s leadership, likely informed by his own diet.

RFK Jr, ultraprocessed foods, and food processing

Beyond plant-based vs animal-derived foods, the hospital pledge takes specific aim at processed foods, which is also a key part of RFK Jr’s take on US health policy. It suggests limiting intake of sugar-sweetened beverages, food with added sugars, processed meats, sodium, refined grains, fried foods, and “artificial additives.”

As with many of the HHS’s recent policies, the new pledge and the DAGs contain a blend of sound science (cutting down on sugar and processed meats) and unsound science (halving the number of vaccines recommended for children), and are riddled with both inconsistencies and a lack of nuance when it comes to healthy eating.

For example, while RFK Jr’s concern over sugar-sweetened fizzy drinks and processed meat is warranted, he has also criticized pasteurization, which kills harmful bacteria in food and drinks, including dairy milk, and saves countless lives.

Rohini Bajekal, nutritionist and communications lead at Plant-Based Health Professionals UK, previously told Plant Based News (PBN) that many ultra-processed foods (UPFs) contain fat, sugar, salt, and artificial flavors, but little nutritional value.

“They are considered hyper-palatable: this means they are irresistible, easy to overconsume, and are capable of hijacking the brain’s reward system, thus provoking powerful cravings,” Bajekal said. “This can lead to overconsumption.”

However, while some processed “food-like substances” contain few nutrients, other processed foods are practical, nutrient-dense, and support balanced diets. Cooked, canned, and concentrated tomatoes often contain more bioavailable lycopene,  which is a “powerful antioxidant” with confirmed anti-cancer properties.

“Not all processed foods are created equal,” Bajekal added. “Canning, cooking, freezing, fermenting, and drying are all processing methods. There are usually both positive and negative implications for nutrition as a result of them.”

Read more: Why RFK Jr’s Position On Ultra-Processed Foods Is Problematic

The evidence for plant-based proteins

While RFK Jr’s DGAs and the new hospital food pledge prioritize unprocessed animal products as well as plant-based options, research indicates that plant-rich diets and plant-based proteins are far better for human health than meat and dairy.

In 2024, a nutritional study funded by the beef industry inadvertently strengthened the evidence for plant-based proteins. The study began with a hypothesis that plant proteins were inferior to animal products, but instead, showed that plant proteins can have all the same advantages for muscle growth and overall health.

In April, the American Heart Association (AHA) once again recommended that people eat more plant proteins to support better heart health. At the end of July, a study found that following the plant-rich Planetary Health Diet can cut heart disease risk by up to 28 percent, and others indicate it can boost fiber and micronutrients.

Contrary to RFK Jr’s indiscriminate targeting of processed foods, a scientific review from November 2025 found that even ultra-processed plant-based foods are better for heart health than unprocessed meat and dairy. The study found that while UPFs are not as healthy as whole foods, they are still healthier than animal products.

In March, Dr Michael Klaper, a physician and vegan advocate, told the Independent that the US government’s increased emphasis on animal proteins is a “biological time bomb,” and the “recipe for an epidemic” of colon cancer, heart attacks, and autoimmune diseases. “Mother Nature doesn’t care if your food is political. Biology is not,” he said.

Read more: Factory Farming Is Already A Public Health Crisis

Plant-based hospital food

Despite RFK Jr’s emphasis on animal products above plant-based foods, hospitals in the US – and around the world – are embracing nutritious, meat-free meals in response to the overwhelming evidence that they are better for the environment, cheaper, more inclusive, more popular, and better for the health of patients.

In March, Sodexo UK & Ireland and its partner Nuffield Health announced that they have reduced food emissions across 35 hospitals by 22 percent over the last year after making plant-based foods the default option with Greener by Default (GBD).

Sodexo reported “high levels of diner satisfaction” amongst patients throughout the pilot, and noted that the average amount of meat served per patient fell by 14 percent and that the average amount of plant protein served increased by nearly 50 percent.

‘Greater health equity in our communities’

Last year, GBD expanded its existing partnership with Sodexo to grow the total number of hospitals with plant-forward menus from 131 to around 400 by the start of 2026. GBD and Sodexo introduced a plant-based default program at all 11 Health+ Hospitals in New York City in 2022, which Sodexo described as a “remarkable success” at the time. In 2023, California’s Santa Clara Valley Healthcare (SCVH) system launched a plant-based food program called “Universal Meals.” The program was created by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM).

At the time, Jocelyn Dubin, the lead public health nutritionist at the County of Santa Clara Public Health Department, said, “Adding these recipes is part of a larger recognition that both people and the environment must be well cared for.

“Providing inclusive options for people with food allergies and dietary restrictions builds toward greater health equity in our communities, as we strive to make the healthy and sustainable choice the easy choice for all.”   

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