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14h ago

U.S. Issues New Dietary Guidelines Elevating Protein and Full-Fat Dairy, Targeting Highly Processed Foods

Federal agencies will phase the changes into school meals, SNAP, military feeding over the next two years.

The latest update will include images of an inverted pyramid — flipping longstanding visuals of the American diet.
Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks during a press briefing with, from left, Dr. Ben Carson, National Nutrition Advisor at U.S. Department of Agriculture, Dr. Marty Makary, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) commissioner, Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, at the White House on Jan. 7, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
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FILE - A woman looks at products in the aisle of a store as her daughter naps in the shopping cart in Waco, Texas, on Dec. 14, 2010. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez, File)

Overview

  • HHS and USDA replaced MyPlate with an inverted food pyramid that de-emphasizes grains and foregrounds protein, dairy, healthy fats, fruits and vegetables.
  • The guidance sets protein targets of roughly 1.2–1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight per day and encourages protein at every meal.
  • For the first time, it explicitly urges limiting highly processed foods and tightens sugar advice, including a 10-gram added-sugar cap per meal.
  • Saturated fat intake remains capped below 10% of calories even as the document endorses full-fat dairy and allows cooking fats such as butter or beef tallow.
  • The update departs from a 2024 advisory panel’s recommendations, drawing praise from the American Medical Association for its focus on processing and sugar and concerns from heart experts over red meat, full-fat dairy and sodium.