Overview
- Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said more than 1,000 USDA simulations indicate some healthy meals can cost about $3.
- She added that new figures estimate three meals plus a snack at roughly $15.64 for a full day.
- The USDA said hundreds of thousands of options meet updated dietary guidelines without higher costs but has not released its methodology.
- Anti-hunger advocates and online critics argue sustaining such low costs is unrealistic for many households due to time, storage, transportation and bulk-buying needs.
- Recent data show tight budgets, with BLS reporting average household food spending above $10,000 in 2024 and average SNAP benefits near $6.20 per person per day.