Dietary Guidelines Encourage Animal Proteins, 'Healthy' Fats
This story is a revision of our Jan. 7 posting, greatly changing the tone.
The 2025-2030 edition of Dietary Guidelines for Americans, released by the government on Jan. 7, was quite a departure from previous guidelines, recommending animal meats, full-fat dairy products and olive oil, butter or beef tallow for cooking over seed oils.
While the term “ultraprocessed” did not appear in the document explaining the guidelines – “highly processed” did appear 12 times – UPFs came up during the press conference, as did attacks on the processed food industry. It’s worth noting the criticisms were delivered verbally and did not appear to be a part of the official Dietary Guidelines, although they indicate the beliefs of the federal officials in charge of food safety and policy.
“The hard truth is our government has been lying to us to protect corporate profit-taking, telling us these food-like substances were beneficial to public health,” began Robert F. Kennedy Jr., secretary of Health & Human Services Dept. (and parent of the FDA). “Federal policy has promoted and subsidized highly processed foods and refined carbohydrates and turned a blind eye to the disastrous consequences. Today the lies stop.”
Marty Makary, commissioner of the FDA, added: “For decades we’ve been fed a corrupt food pyramid that’s had a myopic focus on demonizing natural, healthy saturated fats, telling you not to eat eggs and steak, and ignoring a giant blind spot: refined carbohydrates, added sugars and ultraprocessed foods.”
But repeating, those were the verbal remarks; they do not appear in the actual guidelines.
Speaking of the Food Pyramid, that 20th century visual is back but literally turned upside down. The new pyramid replaces the recent “MyPlate” symbols, with animal proteins and fresh fruits & vegetables in the widest area at the top and baked goods and whole grains sparingly added at the narrow bottom.
Great emphasis was placed on “protein at every meal,” with that protein coming from meats and dairy products. There was no mention of “plant-based,” which was an implicit influence of the 2020 Dietary Guidelines. All mentions of sodium were prefaced with the word "excess." There was no list of beneficial nutrients that are underconsumed.
The final version apparently ignored much of the recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, composed of 20 well-regarded academics appointed by the previous administration.
“The guidelines emphasize simple, flexible guidance rooted in modern nutrition science,” the official announcement said. It listed these bullet points:
* 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 how we Make America Healthy Again,” Kennedy said.
While their impact on the American diet has always been debatable, the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines do reset requirements for federally subsidized food programs, such as National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, SNAP and WIC.