The Salud America! Action Pack, “How to Start Screening for the Non-Medical Drivers of Health (NMDoH),” is featured in two resource databases that help healthcare systems start addressing NMDoH with screening, referrals, and more. Find our action pack in the University of California, San Francisco's national database, the Social Interventions Research & Evaluation Network (SIREN). Find our action pack in Rice University's Texas-focused database, Evidence-to-Practice for Non-Medical Drivers of Health (E2 Practice NMDOH). You can use the new Salud America! Action Pack, “How to Start Screening for the NMDoH,” to launch screening in your clinic, hospital, or healthcare system! The action pack, created by Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez at UT Health San Antonio, has a ...
Heart disease is the top cause of death among U.S. Latinos. In addition, data shows widening gaps in hypertension control, obesity, and diabetes among Hispanic populations, heightening their risk of heart disease and stroke, according to a new scientific statement by the American Heart Association (AHA). "Advancing cardiovascular and [fair] health will require developing a deeper understanding of the unique drivers of cardiovascular disease within ... Hispanic communities, addressing barriers such as language and insurance access, and implementing culturally tailored interventions and policies," according to AHA's scientific statement. Let's explore AHA's statement and some ways to take action during Hispanic Heritage Month.
Heart Issues among Latinos
AHA's scientific statement ...
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is proposing a rule change to require food companies to notify regulators before introducing ingredients or additives into processed or packaged foods, according to federal health leaders. Under the rule, companies would have to submit a safety rationale for new ingredients. “The proposal would change a decades-old policy that advocates have called a regulatory loophole, blaming it for allowing thousands of unvetted ingredients into the U.S. food supply,” according to the Associated Press. You can submit a public comment crafted by Salud America! to provide feedback on FDA’s plan to tighten restrictions on new food additives and ingredients. Comments are due Dec. 9, 2026. Comment NOW!
Submit This Model Comment on Food ...
Healthy eating can be a challenge for many different reasons. Lack of access to grocery stores, rising food costs, and lack of awareness of how to eat healthy are just a few reasons why some people have worse nutritional diets than others. That’s where Nutrition Navigation can help. Nutrition Navigation is a new virtual nutrition counseling service from Healthier Texas that is designed to connect Texans with personalized, evidence-based care from registered dietitians. Let’s dive deeper into this tool and see how it can help Texas families and communities.
The Benefits of Nutrition Navigation
Nutrition Navigation was created to help combat the barriers that communities face when it comes to understanding and practicing better nutrition. Through Nutrition Navigation, ...
Wherever you live, learn, work, and grow in San Antonio, the non-medical drivers of health (NMDOH) can ultimately shape your health outcomes. NMDoH issues include access to affordable housing, healthy food, reliable transportation, education, healthcare, income level, and more. If we can identify and address NMDoH, we can create a healthier future for all. Download the Salud America! Action Pack, “Help People Solve Their NMDoH Problems in San Antonio,” to connect people with the right community resources for help with housing, food, transportation, and healthcare. The action pack, developed by Dr. Amelie G. Ramirez at UT Health San Antonio, helps you identify local NMDoH issues and offers a San Antonio-focused community resource guide with Spanish-language support and ...
Starting April 1, 2026, Texas recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) will have new food purchase restrictions, including no candy and sugary drinks. These changes were made to comply with Senate Bull 379, which passed in June 2025 and is one of three bills under Texas’ “Make America Healthy Again” initiative, prohibiting the use of SNAP benefits to purchase less healthy foods and encouraging the purchase of more nutritious foods like fruits and vegetables. “In August 2025, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service approved a healthy foods waiver that was submitted by Texas and allows the state to implement the SNAP limitations,” according to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. With this in mind, let’s dive ...
From breastfeeding to solid foods and vegetables, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) address childhood food issues in a new report, Early Childhood Nutrition. The report covers: Breastfeeding
Support for Infant Feeding
First Solid Foods
Healthy Eating
Affordability of Nutritious Foods Let’s dive deeper into the report and how it impacts families with children.
1. Most Infants Don’t Receive Full Health Benefits from Breast Milk
The CDC report found that only 2 in 5 infants born in 2022 were still being breastfed on their first birthday, meaning that most infants do not receive the full health benefits that breast milk can provide. “Breastfeeding is the best source of nutrition for most infants. It helps protect babies and moms from ...
The USDA’s newest Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030 focus on eating more real foods and less highly processed ones. The guidelines, released on Jan. 7, 2026, also contain a refreshed food pyramid. Let’s look at 10 recommendations in the new guidelines and how it can impact everything from and how it can impact everything from how to shop at the grocery store to how you cook at home.
1. Eat Real Food
The new dietary guidelines have a simple foundation: eat real food. That means more diets built on whole, nutrient-dense foods like protein, dairy, vegetables, fruits, healthy fats, and whole grains. Pair that with a “dramatic reduction” in highly processed foods laden with refined carbohydrates, added sugars, excess sodium, unhealthy fats, and chemical ...
Volunteering for Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s helps other people. It gives the volunteer a nice emotional boost, too. So why not volunteer your “digital voice” or “actions”? We at Salud America! invite you to take or start these 17 actions to promote health for Latino and all families this holiday season!
1. Get Your Town's Health Report Card!
How is the state of health in your community? Find out by downloading a Salud America! Health Report Card for your town! Enter your county name and get auto-generated local data with interactive maps and comparative gauges on several health indicators. This can help you visualize and explore local issues in education, housing, transportation, food, health, and more. See how your county stacks up compared to the ...
Tell FDA: Tighten Restrictions on Food Additives and Ingredients
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is proposing a rule change to require food companies to notify regulators before introducing ingredients or additives into processed or packaged foods, according to federal health leaders. Under the rule, companies would have to submit a safety rationale for new ingredients. “The proposal would change a decades-old policy that advocates have called a regulatory loophole, blaming it for allowing thousands of unvetted ingredients into the U.S. food supply,” according to the Associated Press. You can submit a public comment crafted by Salud America! to provide feedback on FDA’s plan to tighten restrictions on new food additives and ingredients. Comments are due Dec. 9, 2026. Comment NOW! Submit This Model Comment on Food ...
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