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• Posted January 20, 2026

Agriculture Secretary Says Healthy Meals Can Cost $3, Critics Say It’s Not That Simple

Can Americans really eat healthy for just $3 a meal? 

That question is sparking debate after Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the Trump administration’s updated food guidelines make low-cost, nutritious meals possible, even as many families struggle with rising grocery prices.

In an interview with NewsNation last week, Rollins said the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) ran more than 1,000 cost simulations and found that people could follow the new food guidelines without spending more money.

“Are we asking them to spend more on their diet? And the answer to that is no," Rollins said.

She pointed to meals that could cost about $3, such as a "piece of chicken, a piece of broccoli, you know, a corn tortilla and one other thing."

The comments quickly drew criticism online. Many people questioned how shoppers could buy just one piece of chicken or a single piece of broccoli at the store. Others said meals like that would not provide enough calories for most adults.

Still, the USDA defended the claim. A USDA spokesperson said there are “hundreds of thousands of meal options” that fit the new guidelines without raising costs, although the agency did not explain how the simulations were done.

The USDA said a full day of meals could include eggs, whole milk, fruit and whole-grain bread for breakfast; canned tuna, cottage cheese and salad for lunch; and roasted chicken, vegetables and milk for dinner.

The debate comes as food costs remain high. Grocery prices rose 0.7% in December alone, more than twice the overall inflation rate, federal data show. Some shoppers are even using “buy now, pay later” apps to pay for groceries.

“Is it possible to cook one healthy meal for $3? Yes, it is," Joel Berg, CEO of Hunger Free America, told The Washington Post. "Is it easy to live a lifestyle where you consistently are able to put together healthy, balanced meals for $3? No, it is not.”

Berg said eating cheaply often requires buying food in bulk, visiting multiple stores, and having time, storage space and transportation, things many low-income families may lack.

“Healthier food is generally more expensive, but it is also critical to know that it usually takes a lot more time," Berg added.

“Every penny that you have to pay for health care, every penny that you have to pay for child care, every penny that you have to pay for prescription drugs is less money that you have for food,” he explained to The Post.

For the first time, the average U.S. household spent more than $10,000 on food in 2024, about $27 a day, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

Spending on meat, poultry, fish and eggs jumped more than 21% from 2023 to 2024, while spending on fruits and vegetables fell 3.5% and 10% the year before that.

The updated guidelines also move away from highly processed foods with added sugar and salt, things many families rely on because they’re quick and inexpensive.

For people using food assistance, the challenge is even greater. The average SNAP benefit is about $6.20 per person per day, and the maximum benefit for a family of four comes out to roughly $8.15 per person per day.

The Democratic National Committee criticized Rollins’s comments, saying the administration is “out of touch” with families facing high costs for food, rent and health care.

More information

ConsumerAffairs has more on the rising cost of groceries by state.

SOURCE: The Washington Post, Jan. 16, 2026