Overview
- HHS and USDA released the 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines with an inverted pyramid that gives prominent placement to animal proteins, whole dairy and certain animal fats such as butter and beef fat, while retaining the 10% cap on saturated fats.
- The guidance raises recommended protein intake to 1.2–1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight and encourages including protein at each meal.
- The update prioritizes minimally processed foods and calls for cutting ultra-processed products and added sugars, stating that added sugars and nonnutritive sweeteners are not part of a healthy diet and that children under four should avoid added sugars entirely.
- Nutrition experts and major bodies, including the American Heart Association, WHO and members of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, question the prominence of animal proteins and whole dairy and note that plant proteins are underemphasized in the graphic.
- Because the guidelines steer federal feeding programs, the changes will affect school meals and other public food services, and some local authorities, such as in Mendoza, Argentina, are weighing how to align nutrition education with the new focus on real foods.