The federal government wants Americans to eat more protein, specifically meat and whole-fat dairy products, putting them at the top of a new “upside-down” food pyramid, along with a message encouraging the consumption of “real food.”

Vegetables and fruits are also placed at the top of the pyramid, along with an expected emphasis on consuming saturated fats. The new 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans — stripped down to a lean 10 pages compared to the prior iteration’s 164 pages — debuted at a White House press briefing on January 7.

“Protein and healthy fats are essential and were wrongly discouraged in prior dietary guidelines,” said Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr, at the briefing. “We are ending the war on saturated fats.”

Added FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, MD, “For decades, we’ve been fed a corrupt food pyramid that has 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, ultraprocessed food.”

The recommendation of keeping saturated fat to less than 10% of daily caloric intake was unchanged from the previous guidelines, even though the agency’s own scientific analysis concluded there was no evidence that the 10% threshold had any impact on cardiovascular disease or mortality.

The guidelines, updated every 5 years, are widely relied upon by clinical organizations, policymakers, and the general public and are used to set standards for federal child and adult nutrition programs, such as school lunches, military meals, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

The new recommendations are a stark departure from the 2025 Scientific Report, which was supposed to provide foundation of the guidelines and had urged a move toward plant-based foods.

Kennedy took over the guideline writing process, labeling the previous work “corrupt.” He appointed a new group to craft recommendations. Most members of that panel had ties to the beef, dairy, and supplement industries.

The new guidelines urge Americans to avoid highly processed foods and added sugars and limit sodium intake to less than 2300 mg/d.

In a change, the guidelines suggest consuming “less alcohol.” The previous recommendation was to avoid alcohol or limit daily intake to one drink or less for women and two drinks or less for men.

“Alcohol is the social lubricant that brings people together,” said Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Mehmet Oz, MD, who claimed there was “never really good data” supporting daily limits. “I don’t think you should drink alcohol, but it does allow people an excuse to bond and socialize. And there’s probably nothing healthier than having a good time with friends in a safe way,” he said.

Kennedy, Oz, and Makary said the new guidelines would help reduce chronic disease and save the federal government — and individual Americans — millions of dollars.

“The best way to reduce drug spend in America is to not need the drugs in the first place,” said Oz.

“We are going to finally address the root causes of our broken health care system — insulin-resistance and general body inflammation — advanced by the protein-poor, micronutrient-poor, ultraprocessed, refined carbohydrate diet that kids are addicted to,” said Makary.

Applause Mixed With Caution, Concern

Kennedy thanked the American Medical Association (AMA) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) for working with HHS on the guidelines.

In a statement, AMA President Bobby Mukkamala, MD, said the organization applauded the recommendations to avoid highly processed foods and sugar-sweetened beverages and limit sodium. The “guidelines affirm that food is medicine,” he said. The AMA has committed to improving “clinical competency,” educating physicians, and working with Congress “to enact meaningful, lasting nutrition change that can improve lives.”

AAP President Andrew Racine, MD, PhD, said in a statement that the guidelines “are an opportunity to clearly explain to parents what a healthy diet for their children should look like: rich in whole, nutrient-dense foods and low in added sugars and refined carbohydrates.” Racine said AAP commended the “inclusion of the Academy’s evidence-based policy related to breastfeeding, introduction of solid foods, caffeine avoidance, and limits on added sugars.”

But Racine also said the reality for many Americans is that “access to nutritious food is often unavailable or unaffordable and highly processed foods fill the void.”

The American Heart Association (AHA) welcomed the emphasis on increasing vegetable, fruit, and whole-grain consumption while limiting added sugars, refined grains, and highly processed foods.

But the organization, which recommends a daily caloric intake of less than 6% from saturated fat, expressed concern about the emphasis on red meat. Salt and saturated fats “are primary drivers of cardiovascular disease,” said the AHA in a statement. It also said that while protein is essential, “we urge more scientific research on both the appropriate amount of protein consumption and the best protein sources for optimal health.”

Until there is more evidence, “we encourage consumers to prioritize plant-based proteins, seafood, and lean meats and to limit high-fat animal products, including red meat, butter, lard, and tallow, which are linked to increased cardiovascular risk.”

In a statement, American College of Cardiology President Christopher M. Kramer, MD, said, “We welcome the inclusion of several important science-based recommendations, including a focus on eating whole fruits and vegetables, limiting added sugars, highly processed foods, saturated fats, and sugary drinks.”

“We are closely reviewing the recommendations and encourage clinicians to discuss practical, culturally appropriate healthy eating options with their patients,” Kramer added.

Alicia Ault is a St. Petersburg, Florida-based freelance journalist whose work has appeared in many health and science publications, including Smithsonian.com. You can find her on X @aliciaault and on Bluesky @aliciaault.bsky.social.