RFK Jr launches his own cooking show, puts his dietary guidelines into practice

WASHINGTON, DC: Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr is taking on a new role beyond Washington.

On Thursday, July 30, he announced the launch of ‘The Real Food Show’, a celebrity cooking series inspired by the Trump administration's "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) initiative.

The show aims to encourage Americans to prepare healthy, affordable meals at home while promoting the administration's new dietary guidelines.

Robert F Kennedy Jr says home cooking is affordable and practical

According to the Department of Health and Human Services, ‘The Real Food Show’ will focus on simple recipes, budget-friendly ingredients and easy cooking techniques that families can follow at home.

Speaking to USA TODAY, RFK Jr said he enjoys cooking "steaks and meat and fish," while adding eggs, bacon, hamburgers and cheeseburgers to the list of dishes he prepares. He also challenged the belief that fast food is the cheapest option.

"Fast food is not less expensive," the 72-year-old said. "That meal costs $12 to $14. People can eat a lot cheaper at home and a lot better food."

Calling cooking "becoming a lost art," the HHS secretary said he hopes the series encourages more Americans to spend time in the kitchen.

The first episode features California chef Andrew Gruel, with the pair preparing crispy salmon cakes served alongside an apple, white bean, and greens salad.

‘The Real Food Show’ brings Trump's MAHA dietary guidelines to the kitchen

The Health and Human Services Department said the series is designed to make the administration's new dietary guidelines easier for families to understand and follow.

"Secretary Kennedy is bringing the Dietary Guidelines for Americans to life and showing that cooking with real food can be practical, approachable, and affordable for every family," the show's description states.

The updated guidelines introduced earlier this year place foods such as steak, whole milk, cheese, and vegetables at the top of a revised food pyramid while encouraging Americans to reduce added sugar and highly processed foods.

RFK Jr has described the model as an "upside down" pyramid. "My message is clear: Eat real food," he said.

He added that "the new guidelines recognize that whole, nutrient-dense food is the most effective path to better health and lower health care costs."

New guidelines receive praise and criticism

Not everyone has embraced the new recommendations.

Nutrition expert Christopher Gardner said he was "very disappointed" by the emphasis on red meat and saturated fats, arguing that it goes against years of nutrition research.

The American Heart Association welcomed recommendations encouraging more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fewer processed foods but expressed concern that guidance on red meat and salt could lead consumers to exceed recommended limits for saturated fat and sodium.