The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) this week released the “Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030,” saying that it was “the most significant reset of federal nutrition policy in decades.”
The new guidelines sets out the following priorities: “Prioritize protein at every meal … Consume full-fat dairy with no added sugars … Eat vegetables and fruits throughout the day, focusing on whole forms … Incorporate healthy fats from whole foods such as meats, seafood, eggs, nuts, seeds, olives, and avocados … Focus on whole grains, while sharply reducing refined carbohydrates … Limit highly processed foods, added sugars, and artificial additives … Eat the right amount for you, based on age, sex, size, and activity level … Choose water and unsweetened beverages to support hydration … Limit alcohol consumption for better overall health.”
This is what the old food pyramid looked like:
And, the new food pyramid:
“These Guidelines return us to the basics,” Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy said in a prepared statement. “American households must prioritize whole, nutrient-dense foods—protein, dairy, vegetables, fruits, healthy fats, and whole grains—and dramatically reduce highly processed foods. This is how we Make America Healthy Again.”
USDA is making the argument that “the U.S. faces a national health emergency. Nearly 90% of health care spending goes toward treating chronic disease, much of it linked to diet and lifestyle. More than 70% of American adults are overweight or obese, and nearly 1 in 3 adolescents has prediabetes. Diet-driven chronic disease now disqualifies many young Americans from military service, threatening national readiness and limiting opportunity.”
The Wall Street Journal analysis said, in part:
“For now, the new guidelines encourage people to give priority to home-cooked meals and avoid packaged, prepared, ready-to-eat or other foods that have added sugars and salt. The administration’s updated guidelines argue that the U.S. government for decades has recommended and incentivized ‘low quality, highly processed foods.’
“The new guidance on processed foods goes beyond draft recommendations compiled in 2024 by a committee of scientists advising the Biden administration. Scientists on that committee had for the first time examined research on ultraprocessed foods, but indicated that the research wasn’t strong enough to draw firm conclusions.”
In its coverage, the Washington Post writes:
“The guidance comes as Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made overhauling the nation’s food supply a priority of his Make America Healthy Again agenda, aimed at addressing chronic disease and childhood illness. He has claimed the industry is mass poisoning this generation of children, and his messaging around food has found broad appeal, unlike his handling of vaccination policy. Nutrition experts generally praised some of the main changes, such as the move away from processed foods, while a few raised concerns about promoting some fatty foods. The guidance also generally received a warm reception from some major MAHA allies … The American Heart Association commended the guidelines for its focus on whole foods and reduction of processed ones. But the group expressed concern over recommendations that include red meat, urging the prioritization of plant-based proteins, seafood and lean meat, and also encouraged Americans to rely on low-fat and fat-free dairy products.”
In a response, Krystal Register, vice president of Health and Well-being at FMI-The Food Industry Association, said: “FMI welcomes the release of the updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans as they are intended to provide science-based advice and daily recommendations on food groups and nutrients to encourage and those to limit – all in an effort to support healthy and balanced eating patterns. Fortunately, every day, America’s food producers, manufacturers and retailers provide the choice and variety needed to accomplish this goal.
“More consumers are seeking health solutions at the grocery store, and retailers are responding with an emphasis on personalized strategies to support individual health goals. The Dietary Guidelines present an opportunity to meet consumers where they are and lean into the expertise and guidance of registered dietitians across the industry.
“Our FMI research has found that consumers are prioritizing healthy eating choices, though most believe there is room for improvement. Consumers view their primary food store as a partner in this effort, with 80% of shoppers saying their grocery stores do at least a good job supporting their health and well-being. The food industry will continue to support consumers with their personalized health goals by offering a wide variety of nutritious options.”
KC’s View:
What’s not recommended in the new guidelines is that many people who add all that meat and full-fat dairy to their diets will also have to invest in prescriptions for Lipitor or Crestor.
While I think almost everyone would agree that the national health profile would be better if people ate more whole foods and fewer processed foods, and cut down on sugars and additives, there are some problems with getting both industry and customers to adopt these new guidelines to any significant degree.
The FMI statement illustrates the problem: it really doesn’t say anything about the new guidelines, except that people generally want to eat healthier and retailers want to help them. But there is no reaction to some of the specifics of the recommendations, which put into question a significant percentage of the products its retailers sell and that make up a lot of their profits. I understand that – associations in general feel they have to be careful about getting sideways with the administration.
Let’s be clear. While some folks would like to eat more steak and hamburger and less fish because now RFK Jr. has told them it is okay, fewer and fewer people in this country actually can afford steak and hamburger because of inflation. And one of the reasons people buy processed foods is because they tend to be fast and convenient, which is necessary because so many households have both parents working, struggling to make ends meet. They have to spend money not just on food, but on housing, healthcare, clothing, education, etc …
(After all, why else would anyone eat Big Macs and drink Diet Cokes on a regular basis?)
Public policies that result in these kinds of recommendations need to be contextual – they have to be supported by other public policies. None of these things can work in a vacuum.
And, to be honest, while I’m sure every arm of government and every administration are guilty being overly influenced by industries of every kind, I have trouble with the notion that past nutrition recommendations all are tainted because of outside pressures from business.
And, as I’ve said here before, part of the problem with these recommendations is that RFK Jr. has demonstrated in other areas that he is willing to put this thumb on the scale of all decision-making – hell, he jumps up and down on the the scale of decision-making – to make sure all conclusions reflect his biases and non-science-based beliefs. Hard for me to accept that this has not happened here.
The post USDA Turns Food Pyramid Upside Down With New Recommendations appeared first on MNB.
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