Kumar Chandran
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Kumar Chandran
Policy Director
Washington, D.C.
Kumar Chandran serves as Policy Director at ReFED. He has more than 15 years of experience working on food and nutrition policy. He has served in senior leadership roles at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, helping lead efforts to improve nutrition and health for the millions of Americans who participate in USDA nutrition assistance programs, such as SNAP, WIC, and school meals. He has also worked to improve health and nutrition through roles at nonprofits including FoodCorps, Share Our Strength, and California Food Policy Advocates (now Nourish California).
Kumar earned his bachelor’s degree in political economy from the University of California, Berkeley, and his master’s degrees in public health and food policy from Tufts University. He lives in Washington, D.C., with his wife and two sons. In his free time, you can find him shuttling his kids to soccer practices and games, running in D.C.’s Rock Creek Park, or trying to read the many unread books on his shelves.
Connect with me about
Food and nutrition policy; Policy advocacy and government relations; Food insecurity
Published Works
- “Participation in the Child and Adult Care Food Program Is Associated With More Nutritious Foods and Beverages in Child Care,” Childhood Obesity (2011)
- “Progress to Implement the National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health at the U.S. Department of Agriculture,” Nutrition Today (2025)
Fun Facts
Favorite Food: Masala dosa (a fermented rice and lentil crepe that is a classic in South Indian cooking), coconut chutney, and vegetable sambar.
Favorite Book: Recently, I've had a particular (some might say troubling) interest in the post-apocalyptic fiction genre, such as Station Eleven, The Road, American War, and Severance.
Food He Struggles the Most Not to Waste: Fresh herbs
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