Agriculture Secretary Claims Healthy Meals Can Cost Just $3; Shoppers Are Skeptical.
Earlier this year, USDA Secretary Brooke Rollins participated in a television interview where she advocated for the revised food pyramid presented by the Trump administration. This new guideline places a greater emphasis on vegetables and meat protein, moving away from the previous focus on whole grains.
“Are we really encouraging Americans to spend more on their food? The answer is no,” Rollins stated during her discussion with NewsNation anchor Connell McShane. She suggested that meals like chicken, broccoli, corn tortillas, and another item could be prepared for as little as $3.
Since then, Rollins has clarified her remarks. However, they have sparked considerable backlash, with critics arguing that her meal example is unrealistic for everyday shoppers. They point out that such options either lack essential nutrients or require long preparation times.
Residents of Whatcom and Skagit County shared differing views, asserting that Rollins’ assertion does not align with their real-world experiences.
“It seems like they are out of touch with the struggles of average Americans,” remarked Dickie Gleason, a shopper at Super Duper Boomtown in Sumas. “Food prices are extremely high, and with global issues, it’s only getting worse.”
The U.S. experienced a nationwide 2.7% rise in grocery prices from March 2025 to March 2026. For instance, the average cost of a gallon of whole milk increased from $3.20 in 2020 to $4.07 today. Concurrently, prices for beef and chicken breasts have surged by over a dollar per pound in the last five years.
“You can’t just go to the grocery store and pick up eggs, milk, cheese, some bread, and maybe a few bananas,” Gleason added. “You often leave the store spending nearly $50, $60, or even $100. It’s absurd.”
Sumas, located near the Canadian border in northeastern Whatcom County, finally welcomed a full-sized grocery store, Sumas Market, in 2022 after enduring nearly six years without one.
Many customers recounted that shopping across multiple stores to stretch their budgets had become essential. Neko Wolf, a shopper in Bellingham, mentioned how she frequents stores like Grocery Outlet, Costco, and WinCo Foods to provide for her family.
“There are no consistent items at Grocery Outlet, so that can pose a challenge. However, some products are priced significantly lower than elsewhere,” Wolf noted. “I spent $300 here today; it would have cost me even more at any other store.”
Grocery Outlet employs an opportunistic buying model, acquiring surplus goods from manufacturers rather than based on demand. While this leads to fluctuating selections for consumers, it enables the store to offer substantial discounts. According to the nonprofit Consumer’s Checkbook analysis service, Grocery Outlet in the Puget Sound region sells items at an average of 21% below average prices.
Justin Ver Burg, another Bellingham shopper, has been trying to follow some of the new guidance from the updated food pyramid. While he found the recommendations useful, he disagreed with Rollins’ assertions.
“I found that to be quite off,” Ver Burg expressed. “If you aim to eat whole foods as recommended by RFK Jr., I believe it would cost significantly more.”
Bellingham is home to major retailers like Walmart, Costco, Safeway, and Fred Meyer, which makes shopping more manageable. However, for residents of more rural areas, finding affordable deals seems much more challenging.
A one-way trip from Everson—which has limited market options—to the Safeway or Grocery Outlet in Lynden takes at least 10 minutes. Considering the additional time for shopping, the return journey, and the possibility that even cheaper groceries may be another 26 minutes away in Bellingham, the impracticality of maintaining a $3-a-meal diet becomes evident.
“$3 for a nutritious meal? Absolutely not,” Wolf insisted. “If you can find what you need at places like Grocery Outlet, maybe you could get it for $3, but realistically, it’s closer to $5, if not $6 or $7 per person.”
—By Jae Ranney
