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Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is taking the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) agenda from policy into the kitchen with a new government-produced cooking series designed to show Americans how to prepare healthy meals for less than $5 a serving whenever possible.
The new series, “The Real Food Show,” launched Thursday on the HHS website and YouTube.
The program is intended to inspire Americans to cook more meals at home using whole, minimally processed ingredients while proving that healthy eating can be practical, approachable and affordable for families, according to the agency.
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“Food should be the foundation of our health,” Kennedy said in a statement announcing the series.
“With ‘The Real Food Show,’ we’re empowering Americans to take control of their health one meal at a time. Healthy eating doesn’t have to be expensive, and cooking at home can be faster, easier and more rewarding than people think.”
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is host of the new series, “The Real Food Show.” (Jay Janner/The Austin American-Statesman via Getty Images)
Each episode features Kennedy alongside “America’s most celebrated chefs” preparing what HHS describes as wholesome, budget-friendly meals inspired by the principles of the MAHA movement.
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The agency said recipes are designed to cost less than $5 per serving whenever practical, with an emphasis on whole ingredients and home cooking.
Celebrity chef Andrew Gruel joins Kennedy in the premiere episode, where they prepare crispy wild Alaskan salmon cakes served with an apple, white bean and greens salad.
Chef Andrew Gruel appeared in the premiere episode of the series. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
Gruel told Fox News Digital he joined the project because he believes its mission extends far beyond teaching recipes.
“I’m excited to be part of the premiere episode because I believe the message is much bigger than a cooking show,” Gruel said.
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Gruel said he hopes the series encourages more Americans to cook at home after years of relying on convenience foods and helps rebuild basic cooking skills that he believes have been lost.
Gruel, pictured here with Kennedy during the recording session, told Fox News Digital that “the message is much bigger than a cooking show.” (Andrew Gruel)
“My hope is that this series helps demystify cooking and shows people that preparing crave-worthy, healthy meals doesn’t require professional training or expensive ingredients,” Gruel said.
The recipe is intended to demonstrate that nutritious meals can be both affordable and easy to make at home.
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“We talk about seafood a lot because I’m a seafood junkie, and one of the things that actually drove me into the restaurant industry was understanding people need to eat more seafood, more of the right types of seafood,” Gruel said in a segment from the debut episode.
Gruel selected salmon cakes because many home cooks find seafood intimidating despite how simple it can be to prepare, he told Fox News Digital.
“Salmon is also nutrient-dense, affordable (frozen is fine) and incredibly versatile,” he said. “They’re a great example of how you can take a high-quality protein, combine it with a handful of simple pantry ingredients and create a meal that’s both satisfying and family-friendly.”
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The show’s goal of keeping meals under $5 per serving may surprise some shoppers amid stubborn grocery prices, but Gruel said it’s achievable.
“Yes, you can absolutely make this meal for under $5 per serving, particularly when using canned or frozen wild Alaskan salmon,” he said.
Kennedy and Gruel prepared crispy wild Alaskan salmon cakes (not pictured) for the first episode. (iStock)
“One of the biggest misconceptions is that eating healthy is always more expensive, but with a few basic cooking skills and a little planning, real food is often more affordable than people think.”
Gruel said he hopes viewers walk away with what he calls “kitchen confidence.”
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“It’s not about creating more Bobby Flays,” he said. “It’s about helping families realize they can cook nutritious, affordable meals at home using real ingredients.”