In the 1940s and 50s, doctors and policymakers considered the diet of many Mexicans to be one of the main causes of poverty and 'backwardness' in the country. Inadequate calorie and protein consumption, along with unhygienic living conditions, caused workers and peasants to be weak, frequently ill, and to miss work. As a result, state welfare institutions made fighting malnutrition a priority. Doctors deemed that sanitized kitchens and animal proteinrich diets would help develop the nation. By changing eating practices, reformers sought to create not only healthy and wellnourished workers, but also a disciplined and productive workforce. This paper explores the rhetoric of welfare and discusses the role of women in the implementation of government policies. It concentrates on the studies carried out by the Institute of National Nutrition in rural communities and on the life history of a visiting nurse in rural Mexico of the 1950s.