Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the health secretary, proposes distributing "MAHA boxes," care packages of whole, farm-fresh foods to SNAP participants and potentially to elderly households. The concept appears in a leaked draft about children's health and in the president's budget request, which describes MAHA boxes as commodities sourced from domestic farmers and delivered directly to American households. Key details and implementation plans remain unclear and agencies provided limited comment. The proposal faces challenges including low vegetable consumption and potential food waste, but well-designed delivery programs could increase healthy food access and improve public health outcomes.
(Kush Desai, a deputy White House press secretary, told me that the leaked report should be disregarded as "speculative literature.") But MAHA boxes are also referenced in the budget request that President Donald Trump sent Congress in May. In that document, MAHA boxes full of "commodities sourced from domestic farmers and given directly to American households" are proposed as an option for elderly Americans who already get free packages of shelf-stable goods from the government.
MAHA boxes are likely to come in some form or another. Some of the packages might end up in the trash. Lots of people, and especially kids, do not enjoy eating carrots and kale. Just 10 percent of U.S. adults are estimated to hit their daily recommended portion of vegetables. But if done correctly, MAHA boxes could do some real good.
Collection
[
|
...
]