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USDA Chief Stands By $3 Meal Example as Critics Cite Rising Grocery Prices

The department points to extensive internal modeling of low-cost menus, a premise experts say overlooks what it takes to eat that cheaply day after day.

Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins (C) speaks as U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (L) and U.S. President Donald Trump look on during a bill signing in the Oval Office of the White House on January 14, 2026 in Washington, DC. Trump is expected to sign a series of bills including the "Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act" to allow the sale of whole milk in school cafeterias across the country.
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Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, responding to a question about grocery prices, said a meal consisting of a piece of chicken, a piece of broccoli, a corn tortilla and “one other thing” could cost as little as $3.

Overview

  • In a NewsNation interview, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said the USDA ran over 1,000 simulations and that a healthy meal can cost about $3 for a piece of chicken, a piece of broccoli, a corn tortilla and “one other thing.”
  • A USDA spokesperson said the analysis found hundreds of thousands of roughly $3 meal options that fit the new guidelines, listing ingredients such as poultry, eggs, canned tuna, frozen vegetables, potatoes, fruit, whole‑grain bread and butter.
  • Rollins also said grocery costs are coming down, but Consumer Price Index data show supermarket prices rose 0.7% in December, with notable year‑over‑year increases for items such as beef.
  • Hunger and nutrition advocates argued a single $3 meal is feasible but sustaining balanced $3 meals is hard for low‑income households given time, bulk‑buying, storage and access constraints, with Joel Berg warning it is difficult to do consistently.
  • Defending the comments Friday, Rollins contrasted the plan with fast food and said SNAP retailers will be required to stock more healthy items, while allies such as economist Steve Moore said better diets could lower long‑term health care costs.