Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has introduced a new online cooking program designed to teach Americans how to make nutritious, low-cost meals using fresh, whole-food ingredients.
The debut episode of “The Real Food Show” was released Thursday on YouTube and features Kennedy teaming up with celebrity chef Andrew Gruel to prepare crispy salmon cakes served with apples, white beans, and a green salad.
According to Kennedy, the series will travel to communities across the country, where he will collaborate with chefs to showcase wholesome recipes that are easy to prepare, widely available, and affordable for families.
The new program expands on the updated federal nutrition guidelines Kennedy unveiled earlier this year, which encourage diets centered on vegetables, fruits, protein, dairy products, and healthy fats while discouraging the consumption of highly processed foods, added sugars, and refined carbohydrates.
Kennedy said improving Americans’ diets could play a major role in reducing chronic disease and rejected the common argument that eating whole, unprocessed foods is significantly more expensive than relying on processed meals.
The launch comes as Americans continue to face higher food costs, with both grocery and restaurant prices increasing 0.2% between May and June, according to the Consumer Price Index.
Speaking with USA Today, Kennedy said the purpose of the show is to demonstrate that preparing healthy meals can be both practical and affordable, without costing more than less nutritious alternatives.
