RFK Jr. claims Americans can eat better for under $5 a meal — now he’s hosting a cooking show to prove it

The goal is to turn the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans, released in January, into practical recipes families can make at home — some, Kennedy claims, for as little as $5. The guidelines put protein at the centre of every meal, alongside full-fat dairy, fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

“When we published the dietary guidelines, there was immediately sort of a good reaction, but also a little trepidation from the public and from critics saying that this food is a lot more expensive than the ultra-processed food that we’ve been eating,” Kennedy said. “And that’s not true.”

Do you want to eat like a Kennedy?

Kennedy, a longtime critic of ultra-processed foods, says eating healthier does not have to mean spending more. His own diet, however, takes that idea several steps further.

He has described himself as following a mostly carnivorous diet built around meat and fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi and yogurt, while cutting out processed food. Kennedy has said the regimen helped him lose 20 pounds in just 20 days. (Registered dieticians and other experts warn that diets very high in animal protein and low in other foods will make it hard to get adequate nutrients or fibre, and caution that they could be associated with everything from upset stomachs and bad breath to higher cholesterol and kidney disease in at-risk people).

“Fast food is not less expensive,’’ he said. ‘’That meal costs $12 to $14. People can eat a lot cheaper at home and a lot better food. But many Americans have forgotten how to cook.”

That message may be a harder sell at a time when grocery bills continue to strain household budgets. According to USDA estimates cited by Ramsey Solutions, a single adult may spend anywhere from $302 to $580 a month on food, depending on how generously they shop. Monthly costs rise to roughly $624 to $1,000 for a couple and between $1,013 and $1,668 for a family of four.

Those costs have risen in recent years. Food prices jumped 9.9% in 2022, the largest annual increase since 1979, according to the USDA. And many shoppers are still looking for ways to cut back.

An Alvarez & Marsal survey conducted in spring 2026 found that 27% of grocery shoppers planned to keep buying their preferred brands but switch to less expensive stores, up from 16% in fall 2025. That suggests consumers are increasingly looking to save by changing where they shop rather than what they buy.

Cooking up a health movement

The Real Food Show will pair Kennedy with celebrity chefs, including Andrew Gruel and Robert Irvine. The show is also an extension of Kennedy’s broader “Make America Healthy Again” agenda, which is being pitched as a way to reduce chronic disease by promoting a healthy lifestyle, but has been widely criticized for promoting pseudoscience and confusing health advice.

Kennedy’s own commitment to fermented food may be slightly harder for the average family to replicate. A devoted sauerkraut fan, he said he once carried his own supply into restaurants before complaints from his wife — and the occasional spill — convinced him to leave the jar at home.

But convincing Americans to eat differently will take more than celebrity chefs and a well-travelled container of cabbage.

For many households, food choices are shaped as much by finances as they are by nutrition. Social media creator Kiki Rough, who shares recipes inspired by the Depression era, told NPR that some people feel deeply embarrassed by their financial circumstances.