The Trump administration is in talks to boost the rollout of a “very wholesome meal for under $5” to underserved areas, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said.
Newsweek reached out to the Department of Health & Human Services via email for comment.
Why It Matters
During his time in the Trump administration, Kennedy has made combating ultra-processed foods a centerpiece of his public health agenda. Labeling these foods as “poison,” Kennedy has repeatedly emphasized their central role in America’s chronic disease epidemic, especially among vulnerable populations.
Access to affordable, healthy food remains a critical challenge in many underserved communities, often called “food deserts.” These areas face higher rates of diet-related illnesses like diabetes, putting strain on individuals and public health systems.
Kennedy has said healthier U.S. diets are key to his vision to “Make America Healthy Again.”
What To Know
Kennedy outlined a new public health initiative on Monday, promising a shift away from corporate profit motives toward genuine health improvements, especially in underserved communities.
“We’re going to launch a new rubric where we, the public health agencies, actually do public health rather than promoting the profit taking by private corporations. And there’s some parts though in some underserved communities, there are food deserts where people don’t have access to some of these foods. And if they do, sometimes it’s too expensive,” Kennedy told Scripps News.
Addressing concerns about reaching lower socioeconomic areas, Kennedy acknowledged the difficulties but emphasized that “cheap food is an illusion. If you say this food is cheap and you get diabetes from it, is it really cheap? We’re working all over the country in food deserts.”
“We’re working with private corporations that are providing good meals. We looked at one company that we met with recently that can provide a very, very wholesome meal for under $5. A Big Mac costs, I think, $9 now,” he said.
“You can get high-quality food as we change these rules to incentivize people to buy better food. You’re going to see the markets respond, and you’re going to see better food going into these food deserts,” he added.
Mark Thiessen/AP
The average price of a Big Mac meal in the United States in 2024 was around $9.29, while a Big Mac alone costs $5.29, according to McDonald’s. However, prices can vary by location. Some locations, like those in New York, might charge upward of $8.69 for a Big Mac, according to Tasting Table, while others could be lower.
Kennedy did not reveal any details about the meals or which companies would manufacture them.
Earlier this month, he lauded Mom’s Meals, a company providing $7-a-portion dishes directly to Medicaid and Medicare recipients.
He specifically praised the firm for providing “without additives” meals, funded by taxpayers, to sick and elderly Americans. The menu includes dishes like chicken bacon ranch pasta for dinner, as well as options such as French toast sticks with fruit or ham patties.
However, an Associated Press review of Mom’s Meals menus, including ingredient lists and nutrition labels, found the products to be heat-and-eat, ultraprocessed foods of the kind Kennedy frequently blames for making people ill.
Marion Nestle, a nutritionist and food policy expert at New York University who examined the menu for the AP, said the meals contain chemical additives that would be impossible to replicate in a home kitchen. She noted that many items are high in sodium, and some also contain elevated levels of sugar or saturated fat.
Mom’s Meals stated that its food products “do not include ingredients that are commonly found in ultra-processed foods.” Teresa Roof, a company spokeswoman, added that the company does not use synthetic food dyes, high fructose corn syrup, certain sweeteners, or synthetic preservatives that are banned in Europe.
Under Kennedy’s leadership, the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) Commission has spotlighted that nearly 70 percent of U.S. children’s calories come from ultra-processed foods.
In a recent social media post where he criticized the vast amount of ultraprocessed foods in American diets, Kennedy urged Americans to make healthier choices.
“This country has lost the most basic of all freedoms, the freedom that comes from being healthy,” Kennedy said.
He reiterated his stance in his interview with Scripps News, pointing to sugar and ultra-processed foods as critical public health threats, linking them to rising diabetes rates.
“We are giving the poorest members of our society diabetes when they’re young, and then we’re paying for it later with Medicaid,” he said.
A study published in the April 2025 issue of the Metabolism journal showed that individuals with the highest intake of ultra-processed foods had a 24 percent greater risk of developing diabetes compared to those with the lowest consumption.
What Happens Next
Kennedy did not provide details about the contents of the meals or where or when they will be introduced.
