US Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins has defended her suggestion that Americans on a budget could eat a piece of broccoli and a piece of chicken for dinner, after the proposal was widely mocked online. Rollins made the comments earlier this week on NewsNation, promoting affordable meals that align with new protein-focused dietary guidelines from the Department of Agriculture.
Rollins claimed that simulations showed such a meal could cost around $3, including a corn tortilla and one other item. However, critics labelled the suggestion a “depression meal” and “prison food”. In a Friday interview on Fox Business, Rollins dismissed the backlash as politically motivated, arguing that healthy eating can be cheaper than fast food or processed snacks.
Rollins pointed to a Trump administration initiative requiring retailers participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to double their stock of healthy foods. This comes despite the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed by President Trump, which is set to cut SNAP benefits by approximately $186 billion through 2034, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
Meanwhile, grocery prices remain high, with the Bureau of Labor Statistics reporting that uncooked ground beef rose 15.5% and frozen fish and seafood increased 8.6% year-on-year in December, as inflation held steady at 2.7%.
