Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Has launched an online cooking program aimed at teaching Americans to prepare nutritious, affordable meals using fresh, whole-food ingredients.
The first episode of "The Real Food Show" Debuted Thursday on YouTube, featuring Kennedy and celebrity chef Andrew Gruel preparing crispy salmon cakes with apples, white beans, and green salad.
Kennedy said the series will visit communities nationwide, where he plans to work with chefs to show easy-to-prepare, widely available, and affordable recipes for families.
The program builds on updated federal nutrition guidelines Kennedy released earlier this year that emphasize vegetables, fruits, protein, dairy, and healthy fats while discouraging highly processed foods, added sugars, and refined carbohydrates.
Kennedy contended that improving American diets could significantly reduce chronic disease and disputed the notion that whole, unprocessed foods are substantially more expensive than processed alternatives. According to the Consumer Price Index, grocery and restaurant prices rose 0.2% between May and June as Americans contend with elevated food costs.
In comments to USA Today, Kennedy said the show aims to prove that preparing healthy meals is both practical and affordable, comparable in cost to less nutritious options.