A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirms that as adults earn more money, they are more likely to consume fresh fruits and vegetables. This finding comes at a time when changes to food assistance programs and dietary guidelines have caused a sharp drop in enrollment in these programs. Recent updates to the U.S. dietary guidelines, led by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., have made the government-recommended diet more expensive. A new "food pyramid" introduced in January highlights foods like animal protein, fresh fruits, and vegetables—items that are generally more costly, according to research. Priya Fielding-Singh, director of policy and programs at the George Washington University Global Food Institute, expressed concern about the impact of these changes on low-income individuals. "For people with lower incomes, this is really infeasible, especially when millions of people—likely including millions of children—are going to lose access to a critical benefit that helps ensure food security," she said. The CDC’s data brief, based on surveys of adults over 20 from August 2021 to 2023, found that more than nine in 10 Americans ate vegetables on a given day and about seven in 10 ate fruits. However, the percentage of people consuming specific types of vegetables and fruits, such as dark green vegetables, red or orange vegetables, and berries, increased with higher family income. The disparity is stark. Only 56% of adults living below 130% of the federal poverty level ($20,748 for a single person) ate any fruit in a day, compared to 76% of those earning 350% of the poverty level ($55,860). Similarly, a person earning $55,860 was nearly twice as likely to eat berries, citrus, and melons compared to someone living on less than $20,748. This income-related gap in food consumption is not new. Studies dating back nearly a century have shown that people with lower incomes tend to buy more energy-dense, shelf-stable foods that are less nutritious but more affordable and longer-lasting. Recent policy changes have further exacerbated these challenges. The Republican-led "Big Beautiful Bill" act has introduced new restrictions and requirements for food assistance programs, including requiring states to pay a portion of the costs for the first time, barring certain legal immigrants from receiving benefits, and imposing work requirements on older recipients. These changes have led to a significant drop in food assistance enrollment, with a 13% national decline between May 2025 and May 2026. In some states like Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Nevada, the decline has been even more severe. Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced it will stop funding the Food Security Supplement in the Census Bureau's annual survey, which means future data on food insecurity will be harder to track.