WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Department of Health and Human Services last week launched a cooking series aimed at encouraging Americans to prepare healthier meals at home, part of a broader effort to promote the Trump administration’s updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
The program, titled The Real Food Show, pairs recipes with nutrition guidance intended to translate the government’s “Eat Real Food” dietary message into meals families can prepare using common ingredients and kitchen equipment, HHS said.
The series was introduced by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during the opening of Fort Drum’s Belvedere Bistro, a military dining facility designed to expand access to healthier meals for service members.
The dining hall, operated by Compass Group, is the third installation in Chef Robert Irvine’s military food modernization initiative, which seeks to improve nutrition and food service across U.S. military bases, according to HHS.
During the event, Kennedy toured the facility, joined soldiers for lunch, participated in a cooking demonstration with Irvine and Rachel Campos-Duffy of FOX & Friends, and announced the launch of the series.
“The Real Food Show reminds Americans that healthy eating starts at home—and that cooking with real food can be simple, affordable, and within reach for every family,” Kennedy stated.
According to HHS, each episode will feature chefs preparing meals built around whole-food ingredients while discussing the nutritional principles behind the recipes. The department said the recipes are intended to be family-friendly, prepared with standard household kitchen equipment and, when possible, cost less than $5 per serving.
The premiere episode features Chef Andrew Gruel preparing salmon cakes and a salad with Kennedy while discussing seafood as a source of protein.
Future episodes will feature additional chefs demonstrating recipes that align with the updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
The series is part of HHS’s broader public health initiative to encourage home cooking and healthier eating habits through nutrition education and practical meal preparation.
Additional information about The Real Food Show is available at https://www.hhs.gov/real-food-show/index.html.
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