The federal government on Wednesday unveiled a new food pyramid that significantly reshapes national nutrition advice, urging Americans to eat more protein and “real food” while cutting back sharply on processed products and added sugars.
The updated guidelines were announced by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, alongside Brooke Rollins. The new pyramid replaces the MyPlate diagram introduced during the Obama administration and represents the most dramatic shift in federal nutrition policy in decades.
Under the revised framework, protein is emphasized over carbohydrates, with meat, fish, eggs and other protein sources taking a central position. The guidelines also recommend full-fat dairy instead of low-fat options, reversing long-standing federal advice aimed at limiting saturated fat intake. Vegetables remain a core component of the diet, while refined grains and processed foods are pushed to the margins.
Foods such as white bread, chips, candy and other heavily processed snacks are explicitly discouraged. The pyramid also introduces “healthy fats,” including full-fat dairy and avocados, and recommends cooking with olive oil, butter or beef tallow rather than refined vegetable oils.
Kennedy framed the changes as a fundamental reset of national nutrition guidance, arguing that decades of emphasis on low-fat diets and carbohydrates have contributed to rising rates of chronic disease. The new approach aligns with his broader “Make America Healthy Again” agenda, which targets ultra-processed foods and sugary beverages as key drivers of poor health outcomes.
The dietary guidelines are updated every five years by HHS and the U.S. Department of Agriculture and serve as a cornerstone of federal nutrition policy. While many Americans may not follow them closely, the recommendations play a major role in shaping school lunch standards, military meals and federal nutrition programs such as SNAP and WIC. Consumer advocates estimate that one in four Americans will be directly affected by changes tied to the new guidelines.
The shift has also drawn attention from the food industry. Major companies have already begun phasing out synthetic dyes and other artificial ingredients amid concerns that the administration may pursue stricter regulation of ultra-processed foods. At the same time, some public health experts have raised concerns that increased consumption of red meat and saturated fats could elevate risks for heart disease if not balanced carefully.
An advisory committee of nutrition scientists last year recommended diets higher in plant-based foods and low-fat dairy and lower in red meat and sugary drinks, but it remains unclear how much that report influenced the final guidelines.
Source: CNBC