Brooke Rollins, the U.S. agriculture secretary, is being ridiculed by congressional Democrats and social media users alike after she made an absurd cheap meal suggestion.
Her recommendation came after the health department recently released a new food pyramid with updated guidelines that put meat and vegetables at the top.
After people complained about the price of steak, Rollins endorsed a meal where Americans can save money while aligning with the new guidelines, and people are outraged.
Highlights
- Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins suggested Americans can eat a $3 meal with chicken, broccoli, and a tortilla amid rising grocery costs.
- Rollins claimed over 1,000 simulations show the new meal aligns with updated food pyramid guidelines without raising consumer costs.
- Her $3 meal idea sparked widespread backlash on social media, with many mocking its unrealistic affordability and simplicity.
- Democratic lawmakers condemned Rollins' suggestion as insensitive to struggling families facing high food prices.
The U.S. agriculture secretary was ridiculed for suggesting a cheap $3 meal for Americans
Image credits: Alex Wong/Getty Images
“While we're asking Americans to reconsider what they're eating, are we actually asking Americans — especially those who are living on the margins — are we asking them to spend more on their diet? And the answer to that is ‘no,’” Rollins told NewsNation.
She told host Connell McShane that the department has run over 1,000 simulations, stating, “It can cost around $3 a meal for a piece of chicken, a piece of broccoli, a...you know, corn tortilla, and one other thing.”
McShane asked, “You've done the analysis on that because...that's one of the criticisms I heard from some, you know, nutrition folks, that said, like with the event you've mentioned...all the protein. Steak, obviously, is expensive. So are you asking people to spend more money with these new dietary guidelines than in the past? You say no?”
“That's right,” Rollins responded. “The answer to that is absolutely ‘no.’” She added that there were a few outliers, such as “beef,” which “has been one of them — but ground beef is coming down.”
White House’s updated food pyramid encourages Americans to consume red meat, full-fat dairy, and saturated fats while suppressing ultra-processed foods and sugar. The rising cost of groceries has been a major issue for Americans.
“How does cost play into this?” McShane had asked Rollins. “And I guess the reason I ask is that I’m thinking back to the [consumer price index] report that just came out, and although inflation overall, as you know, kind of held steady, 2.7% an annual rate on the consumer level, we did see grocery [prices], especially month to month, jumping up. And so it still costs people a lot to go to the grocery store. When is that gonna change?”
Rollins then claimed that “ the cost of groceries are actually coming down.” Her statement echoes that of President Donald Trump from a Tuesday speech to the Detroit Economic Club. Trump had said, “Grocery prices are starting to go rapidly down.”
Image credits: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images
However, the claims have been fact-checked to be untrue, according to CNN. The new Consumer Price Index inflation also showed grocery prices spiked from November to December at the fastest month-to-month rate. The Trump administration has repeatedly made this claim, despite data not supporting it.
Several polls released in November last year had shown that Trump is facing the lowest approval rating of his term, with the economy and grocery prices being among the key issues Americans are dissatisfied with. Social media posts about Rollins’ suggestion only echo that sentiment.
She recommended eating a piece of chicken, a piece of broccoli, and a corn tortilla
Image credits: atrupar/X
“I'm glad they ran a thousand simulations to figure out one chicken one broccoli one tortilla and the other thing,” wrote one user on X. “A normal chicken breast cost about $3 itself, so what are we talking about here? A single tenderloin? I am one of the cleanest simplistic eaters at home, basically what they are describing and it’s more like $7 a meal,” said another.
A third wrote, “A single chicken breast, a broccoli floret, and a tortilla. 🍗🥦 The USDA has finally solved hunger: just eat 1/4 of a meal and call it 'Precision Nutrition'. If we model hard enough, perhaps we can simulate the feeling of being full.”
Image credits: atrupar/X
Many users also joked about the “one other thing” Rollins mentioned. “That one other thing is your dignity and the ability to afford an actual life,” one person said, while another shared an edited image of Trump showing a huge middle finger, captioning it, “The one other thing.”
Image credits: jowenNFT/X
“Even a dystopia would say ‘damn, that’s dystopian,’” one user complained. “While these assholes dine like Kings and Queens at Mar-a-Lago,” said a second.
A third suggested sarcastically, “There's also a way to get nice edible meals by searching through garbage cans outside of supermarkets--another fine way for consumers to save money! Also, raise your OWN chickens in your apartment and you get eggs for free! More useful ideas shortly from Brooke Rollins.”
One person called it a “depression meal,” saying, “Are they doing Monte Carlo simulations to create the most affordable r/depressionmeal.”
Image credits: tysonbrody/X
Democratic representatives also showed their disapproval of Rollins’ recommendation. Rep. Pramila Jayapal called the remarks “a slap in the face to struggling working families.”
The social media account ‘ways and means committee,’ run by the House, posted an AI-generated image of a cafeteria tray divided into four compartments on X. The compartments were filled with a small piece of chicken, a piece of broccoli, a tiny corn tortilla and a foil-wrapped rectangle captioned “MYSTERY ITEM?”
Rep. Ted Lieu shared an image of his own meal with a peppermint candy, writing, “Trump’s Secretary of Agriculture says Americans can afford this delicious $3 meal. 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!”
Social media users were outraged by the suggestion
Image credits: RepTedLieu/X
Congressman Jason Crow followed suit, also posting his version of the dish, captioned: “Trump gets a gold-plated new ballroom. You get a piece of chicken, broccoli, and one corn tortilla.”