ICYMI: Secretary Rollins Pens Op-ed in The Hill “Healthy and Affordable Food Is Within Reach for All Americans”

Washington, D.C., Jan. 15, 2026 - U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins published an opinion piece in The Hill highlighting how the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030, are prioritizing real food while also offering a blueprint for a healthy diet that is within reach for all households, regardless of circumstance.

"Better health begins on your plate - the Dietary Guidelines for Americans offer a flexible, affordable, and attainable framework meant to guide better choices, not dictate exact meals or drain a budget. These guidelines are meant to support cultural traditions, personal preferences and different lifestyles, all while reinforcing one thing: eat real food," said Secretary Rollins. "Soon, the Department of Agriculture will finalize our stocking standards for SNAP retailers. The more than 250,000 retailers approved to accept SNAP benefits will be mandated to offer more than twice as much of the nutrient-dense foods for America's SNAP households. This means healthier options will be in reach for all American families, regardless of circumstance, at levels never seen before."

Read the full piece below.

Last week, under the leadership and vision of President Trump, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture released " Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030 ."

The message is simple: Eat real food.

Not only are these guidelines transformative, prioritizing whole, nutrient-dense proteins, dairy, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats, but they offer a blueprint for a diet that is within reach for all households, regardless of circumstance.

USDA's Food and Nutrition Service conducted thousands of meal simulations, and the results are clear: Eating healthy can cost as little as $3.00 per meal.

The options are limitless. High quality poultry, pork, ground beef, fish, eggs, nuts, full fat dairy, beets, celery, corn, cucumbers, leafy greens, oranges, apples, melons, whole grain breads, corn tortillas, oats, each within reach for the American consumer. And better yet, these infinite protein, dairy, fruit, vegetable, and whole grain options can be found in multiple forms: fresh, frozen, canned, dried, and juiced. The new guidelines are about flexibility, not finite direction.

The Trump administration inherited record inflation from the disastrous Biden years, leading to higher costs in grocery aisles. Under Trump's leadership, inflation has slowed, meaning prices are coming down. Key nutritional food items - from fresh chicken to potatoes, citrus to eggs - are down, in some cases up to 25 percent.

We recognize there is more to do to ensure that not only prices continue to decrease, but that healthy options remain in reach for all families. Trump is mobilizing the great work of this department, and our partners across the Cabinet and the entire federal government, to guarantee that families across our great nation have greater access to healthy food.

Soon, the Department of Agriculture will finalize our stocking standards for SNAP retailers. The more than 250,000 retailers approved to accept SNAP benefits will be mandated to offer more than twice as much of the nutrient-dense foods for America's SNAP households. This means healthier options will be in reach for all American families, regardless of circumstance, at levels never seen before.

The introduction of the new pyramid and RealFood.gov also offers new opportunities for public awareness and education. The revised site is iterative; it will grow to include suggested shopping lists, menus, recommendations for our pickiest of eaters, and other tools that are family-oriented, user-friendly, and reflective of all American households.

And this does not stop with retail grocery. The guidelines will influence how we procure and implement federal feeding programs. The Department of Agriculture spends nearly $380 million per day across its 16 nutrition programs. Programs like school meals and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, or WIC, will be updated to reflect the new dietary guidelines.

We encourage states, our laboratories of innovation, to incorporate the guidelines in their nutrition programming. These updates will provide greater support for community health, create new opportunities for America's farm families, invest more smartly in rural communities, and strengthen strategies to encourage healthy choices.

Better health begins on your plate - the Dietary Guidelines for Americans offer a flexible, affordable and attainable framework meant to guide better choices, not dictate exact meals or drain a budget. These guidelines are meant to support cultural traditions, personal preferences and different lifestyles, all while reinforcing one thing: eat real food.

Brooke L. Rollins is the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture.

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