Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins Says a Healthy Meal Costs $3 as CPI Shows Food Prices Climbing

Overview

• Rollins made the claim in interviews on NewsNation and Fox Business, describing a $3 plate of chicken, broccoli, a corn tortilla, and “one other thing.”
• She said grocery costs are “actually coming down” and characterized late-December increases as a holiday-related “blip.”
• BLS Consumer Price Index data show food prices rose 0.7% in December, including a 1.9% jump for coffee and a 1% monthly rise for beef, which is up 16.4% from a year earlier.
• Coverage also cited an inflation reading showing overall food costs up 3.1% year over year, with fish, poultry, and eggs up 3.9%.
• The remarks drew widespread online ridicule and criticism, with some outlets noting Forbes’ estimate that Rollins’ net worth is about $15 million.