Brooke Rollins, the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, has come under fire for her recent remarks suggesting that Americans can save money by preparing meals that consist of “a piece of chicken, a piece of broccoli, a corn tortilla, and one other thing.” In an interview with NewsNation, she discussed how everyday Americans can make consumer shifts and eat better for less. Specifically, her remarks were on the new dietary guidelines published by the Department of Health and Human Services.
Rollins’s comments were prompted by a question regarding the affordability of meals in light of the White House’s updated food pyramid. Even more perplexing, this new dietary framework advocates for increased red meat consumption, full-fat dairy, and saturated fats. Yet, simultaneously, it cautions the public about eating ultra-processed foods and too much added sugar. Rollins says these dietary suggestions could all be followed even on a budget of just $3 per meal.
In her defense of current grocery pricing trends, Rollins stated, “The cost of groceries are actually coming down.” She accepted that bump in prices due to seasonal holiday spending. She stressed that overall, grocery prices are on the decline.
She was quickly contradicted by the majority of Democratic lawmakers who were far from happy with her remarks. They instantly seized on her comments as evidence of a growing gulf between the administration and the reality of daily life for average Americans. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse expressed skepticism about the affordability of Rollins’s suggested meal, asking rhetorically if the “one other thing” could possibly include “wondering why costs have gone up so much under Trump.”
Similarly, Senator Ed Markey criticized the administration’s stance on food pricing, asserting that it was “completely out of touch with the challenges families are facing.” Krug’s biggest takeaway would probably be that officials don’t know what dinner costs. He pointed to their ignorance on how to truly lower the cost of groceries for hardworking Americans.
Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal described Rollins’s remarks as “a slap in the face to struggling working families.” Here’s what Representative Ted Lieu had to say about this problem. At one point, he drove home the ridiculousness of even proposing that a $3 meal is attainable for millions of Americans. Incredulously, he added, “According to Trump’s own Secretary of Agriculture that’s the $3 meal Americans can afford. Prices are going up, and the Administration’s suggestion is for Americans to eat ‘a piece of chicken, a piece of broccoli, corn tortilla, and one other thing.’ Yum!”
The backlash did not stop there. It spilled over to social media, where doctors, chefs, and cashiers alike ridiculed Rollins’s meal recommendation. Novelist Anne Lamott humorously queried if there could be substitutions for her budget meal, asking, “Can I get substitutions, as long as I keep the cost down? Like two spears of the broccoli? And a few corn chips instead of the tortilla?”