New Delhi: US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr has traded the policy podium for the kitchen counter, launching a new YouTube cooking series aimed at promoting affordable, nutritious meals and the Trump administration’s push to get Americans eating more “real food”.
Titled The Real Food Show, the series features Kennedy cooking with guest chefs. On Thursday’s first 20-minute episode, he teams with chef Andrew Gruel at his Huntington Beach, California, home to make crispy salmon cakes with an apple, white bean and greens salad.
According to The Washington Times, the recipes featured on the show cost under $5 per serving.
The show is being produced by the US Department of Health and Human Services as part of Kennedy’s Make America Healthy Again agenda, which has been heavily focused on changing American eating habits and reducing dependence on processed foods.
“I’m traveling across America, connecting with renowned chefs to show families how to cook delicious, nutritious meals with real ingredients and all at affordable prices,” Kennedy told The Washington Times.
Make America Healthy Again
The launch comes as Americans are dealing with rising meat prices. The Washington Times reported that ground beef costs nearly $7 per pound, while the average price of sirloin steak has reached as much as $17 per pound.
Kennedy used the episode to discuss the rising cost of meat and the need to increase the size of the US cattle herd to improve supply. The episode presents salmon as an alternative, with Gruel using frozen wild sockeye salmon to prepare the salmon cakes.
“Until that happens, this is a fantastic option,” Kennedy said while preparing the dish. “This has the omega-3s and many of the vitamins and nutrients that are not available in meat.”
Speaking in the episode, Kennedy also criticised what he sees as an overemphasis on carbohydrates and ultra-processed foods, while advocating greater consumption of protein and whole foods.
“When you eat protein, you don’t eat the other stuff,” Kennedy said during the episode.
The show’s approach is simple: take inexpensive ingredients, cook them at home and avoid heavily processed alternatives.
Gruel uses frozen wild sockeye salmon for the salmon cakes and encourages viewers to eat more seafood. They also talk about removing processed foods and seed oils from their diet.
The episode also includes cooking tips to help viewers save money. It warns about processed salad dressings, which often contain a lot of sodium, and shows how to make a vinaigrette from scratch.
In the episode, Gruel makes the dressing from simple ingredients and talks about the benefits of making it yourself instead of buying it ready-made. The show also points out that lemon peel is a source of pectin and prebiotic fibre, and suggests grating it into the dressing rather than throwing it away.
Kennedy also receives a quick lesson in knife sharpening before the two get down to preparing the vegetables.
Also read: The food we eat can decide what the brain remembers, says new US study
‘I only eat meat’
The Trump administration’s “real food” push fundamentally shifts US nutritional policy by penalising ultra-processed foods and centring the American diet around whole, nutrient-dense ingredients.
The first episode follows the US govt’s revision of dietary guidelines, in which Kennedy was a key player in the revamp. Nutrition experts are arguing about the changes, especially the greater focus on meat and full-fat dairy and less on grains.
According to Entertainment Weekly, the revised guidelines “inverted” the traditional food pyramid, placing greater emphasis on meat, dairy, fruits and vegetables while reducing the prominence of whole grains. While the focus on eating less processed food has found support among some experts, the increased emphasis on red meat and full-fat dairy has also raised concerns among others.
Kennedy’s own eating habits have also attracted attention. Entertainment Weekly reported that he had previously described himself as following a largely carnivorous diet, saying, “I am on a carnivore diet. I only eat meat or fermented foods.”
In essence, Kennedy’s new show only further solidifies his previously unconventional public image. The Hollywood Reporter took a more satirical view of his move into television, referencing past reports and anecdotes surrounding his unusual food habits.
But beneath the jokes, the show’s message is straightforward: eat fewer processed foods, cook more at home and make nutritious meals affordable.
Entertainment Weekly quoted an official description of the new show, which promises “practical, approachable, and affordable” tips for American families, with Kennedy joined by guest chefs who prepare their signature dishes.
For Kennedy, the latest venture takes his Make America Healthy Again campaign from government policy into American kitchens. The series now puts his dietary message directly on the dinner table, one budget-friendly recipe at a time.
(Edited by Saptak Datta)