New diet guide from the Trump administration flips the food pyramid so Americans eat more protein

Americans should eat more whole foods and proteins, fewer highly processed foods and less added sugar, according to the latest edition of federal nutrition guidance released Wednesday by the Trump administration.

U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins released the 2025-2030 U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americanswhich provide updated recommendations for healthy eating and provide the basis for federal nutrition programs and policies. They come as Kennedy has pushed for months to overhaul the U.S. food supply as part of his Make America Healthy Again agenda.

“Our message is clear: Eat real food,” Kennedy told reporters during a White House press briefing.

The guidelines emphasize the consumption of fresh vegetables, whole grains and dairy products, which have long been recommended as part of a healthy diet.

But they also take a new stance on “highly processed” foods and refined carbohydrates, urging consumers to avoid “packaged, prepared, ready-to-eat or other salty or sugary foods, such as chips, cookies and candy.” It’s a different term for ultra-processed foods, the ultra-tasty, energy-dense products that account for more than half of the calories in the American diet and have been linked to chronic diseases such as diabetes and obesity.

The new guidelines move away from repealing long-standing advice to limit saturated fats, despite signals from Kennedy and Food and Drug Commissioner Marty Makary that the administration would push for increased consumption of animal fats to end the “war” on saturated fats.

Instead, the paper suggests that Americans should choose whole-food sources containing saturated fats — such as meat, full-fat dairy, or avocados — while continuing to limit their saturated fat intake to no more than 10 percent of daily calories. The guide states that “other options may include butter or beef tallow,” despite previous recommendations to avoid these fats.

Guidelines needed to be updated

The Dietary Guidelines, which are required by law to be updated every five years, provide a blueprint for healthy eating. But in a country where more than half of adults suffer from a diet-related chronic illness, few Americans actually follow the advice, research shows.

The new recommendations have drawn praise from some leading nutrition experts.

“There should be broad consensus that eating more whole foods and reducing highly processed carbohydrates is a major step forward in how we approach diet and health,” said Dr. David Kessler, a former FDA commissioner who has written books on diet and nutrition and petitioned the FDA to remove key ingredients from ultra-processed foods.

Others expressed relief after concerns that the guidelines would run counter to decades of nutritional evidence linking saturated fats to higher LDL or “bad” cholesterol and heart disease.

WATCH | Ways to reduce ultra-processed foods:

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“I guess whoever wrote these guidelines had to admit that the science hasn’t changed,” said Marion Nestle, a nutritionist and food policy expert who advised on previous editions of the guidelines. “They haven’t changed fundamentally, except for the emphasis on eating whole foods.”

The new document is only 10 pages, fulfilling Kennedy’s commitment to creating simple, understandable guidelines. Previous editions of the Dietary Guidelines have expanded over the years, from a 19-page pamphlet in 1980 to the 164-page document published in 2020, which included a four-page summary.

These guidelines will have the most profound effect on the federally funded National School Lunch Program, which must follow guidelines to feed nearly 30 million American children during a typical school day.