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My thoughts on the new 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans

  • Jan 9
  • 6 min read

The well-known Food Guide Pyramid was introduced in 1992 and was replaced with the MyPlate model in 2011.1-2 MyPlate is based on well-established scientific evidence, emphasizes whole foods but allows for processed foods too, is adjustable to different cultural cuisines and dietary patterns like vegetarianism, and is a simple, visual way to think about building a balanced meal.2 It also gives a reference for meal size (the MyPlate plate was usually described as 9"-10" in diameter).


MyPlate, a visual guide for meal planning, replaced the food pyramid in 2011.
MyPlate, a visual guide for meal planning, replaced the food pyramid in 2011.

But when the newest Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs) came out on Wednesday, MyPlate was nowhere to be seen. It has been replaced by the inverted pyramid.3 Most of the written guidelines have not changed much, but there are a few changes that are not necessarily scientifically-grounded, and that's concerning.


Here's what I like and where I'm concerned about the new DGAs.


The "New Pyramid" - inverted pyramid model of the new DGAs, introduced on January 7, 2026.
The "New Pyramid" - inverted pyramid model of the new DGAs, introduced on January 7, 2026.

✅ What I like about the new DGAs / inverted pyramid model:


  1. They emphasize fruits and vegetables just as much as MyPlate did, and visually include frozen and canned vegetables in the fruits and vegetables category. With previous editions, frozen and canned fruits and vegetables were always an option, too, but I like that this edition's image includes them explicitly.


  2. They emphasize variety and food choice, and can still be applied to many different cultural cuisines and dietary patterns (albeit less readily than MyPlate) . It's good that this model still promotes variety and choice, and it even lets animal fats and whole milk into the mix. There are no "bad foods" and I think that the pyramid graphic does a pretty good job at food inclusion and neutrality. But it's not as readily applicable to meal planning as the MyPlate model was (it was a plate, after all...doesn't get much easier to visualize than that).


  3. I could see them helping to pave the way for Food As Medicine to be embraced by lawmakers and covered by insurers. With a large emphasis on "real food," which appears to mean whole, less-processed foods, I am hoping that this may inspire progress in the "Food As Medicine" (sometimes called "Food Is Medicine") movement. "Food As/Is Medicine" programs would allow physicians to write prescriptions for fruits and vegetables to be paid for by health insurance, increasing access to healthy food.4-5


Food Is Medicine graphic from the American Heart Association.
Food Is Medicine graphic from the American Heart Association.


⚠️ My concerns about the new DGAs / inverted pyramid model:


  1. They imply that Americans haven't been eating "real food." Everything in the supermarket is and has been "real food." It has been grown, harvested, produced, processed, and shipped by companies and producers that are regulated by the FDA or USDA and follow strict requirements to ensure that Americans are getting safe and wholesome food. Some items are more nutritious than others, for sure, but the implication that some food is "real" and other food isn't real is just marketing. Processing does not make a food less "real."


  2. They imply that processing is bad. Processed foods CAN have high levels of added sugars, sodium, saturated fat, and all kinds of less-nutritious things, sure. But processing also ensures that milk is safe and allows canned fruits and vegetables to be shelf-stable, for instance. It also allows for the convenience of applesauce in squeezable packages and pre-chopped salads in ready-to-eat containers. "Processed" doesn't always mean less nutritious.


  3. The guidelines read like food choices are made in a vacuum, and that Americans can easily go "back to the basics". On the contrary: Studies show that people know what they "should" eat, but outside factors like geography and housing situation, limited income, or lack of free time make it difficult to actually implement nutrition guidance.6-7 The new DGAs act like it's easy and they've cracked the code, but that is, for many people, a gross oversimplification. I highly recommend the book Pressure Cooker for more on this.


  4. They nearly double the daily protein recommendation - which is concerning because:

    1. Increased protein intake could be harmful for people with certain health conditions like chronic kidney disease8 (and some people might not even know that they have chronic kidney disease!)

    2. Increasing protein intake can increase saturated fat and sodium intake because they're often in the same foods, especially with the emphasis on animal protein. It could also edge out fiber-containing foods, an important nutrient for gut and heart health.


  5. They name butter and beef tallow as "healthy fats" and recommends full-fat dairy, which is concerning: Butter, beef tallow, and full-fat dairy have never been considered "healthy fats" before because they are high in saturated fat, and current available evidence points to an association between high saturated fat intake and heart disease risk.10 Historically, "healthy fats" are unsaturated fats like most plant-based oils or fish oil.


The new DGAs' protein recommendations are much higher than the generally accepted guideline of 0.36 grams protein per pound of body weight per day, and there is a new emphasis on fats and proteins from animal sources.
The new DGAs' protein recommendations are much higher than the generally accepted guideline of 0.36 grams protein per pound of body weight per day, and there is a new emphasis on fats and proteins from animal sources.

So, what do we do with these new guidelines?


First, we remember that the basics of healthy eating have not changed. It's good to be aware of these new DGAs when planning my meals and when working with clients, but I'm not going to throw out the MyPlate model, the more-moderate protein recommendations, and unsaturated healthy fats (plant-based oils). I'm essentially going to keep focusing on having a varied balance of food groups in my meals and snacks, eating fiber from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, drinking water, limiting added sugar, and prioritizing fruits, vegetables, and lean protein sources.


Canada's Dietary Guidelines Plate is a nice model to reference.
Canada's Dietary Guidelines Plate is a nice model to reference.

I'll be watching as the food industry reacts to the new DGAs. 🍿 We'll probably see protein products continue to hit the market (did Starbucks really need to launch a protein shake line...?) and we might see butter and beef tallow advertised more often on food packaging. I feel like the "clean labeling" trend of a few years ago has gotten quieter lately, but I predict that these new DGAs might unfortunately bring it back in force:



It will also be interesting to see how the new DGAs affect the National School Lunch Program, WIC (USDA's Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children), and other programs that provide meals and foods based on the government's guidelines. For example, currently, milk provided in reimbursable school lunches must be non-fat or low-fat, which conflicts with the "full fat" guideline in the new DGAs.11



If you ask me, there wasn't anything wrong with the MyPlate model, and there's no reason to largely change our thinking about what a healthy meal or "real food" is at this point.


What do you think? Any predictions on how this will affect the food and nutrition or healthcare industries? Email me here or DM me/comment on Instagram.


Thanks for reading!

References

  1. Drexler M. A visual history of food guides | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. November 21, 2024. Accessed January 9, 2026. https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/centennial-food-guides-history/

  2. US Department of Agriculture. MyPlate.gov | What Is MyPlate? 2025. Accessed January 9, 2026. https://www.myplate.gov/eat-healthy/what-is-myplate

  3. U.S. Department of Agriculture. America’s New Dietary Guidelines. Eat Real Food. January 7, 2026. Accessed January 9, 2026. https://realfood.gov

  4. Volpp KG, Berkowitz SA, Sharma SV, et al. Food Is Medicine: A Presidential Advisory From the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2023;148(18):1417-1439. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000001182

  5. Rep. Lee B. "Text - H.R.9631 - 118th Congress (2023-2024): National Food as Medicine Program Act of 2024". October 2, 2024. Accessed January 9, 2026. https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/9631/text

  6. Raskind IG, Woodruff RC, Ballard D, et al. Decision-making processes shaping the home food environments of young adult women with and without children. 2017. Appetite, 113, 124–133. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2017.02.027

  7. Bowen S, Brenton J, Elliott S. Pressure Cooker: Why Home Cooking Won't Solve Our Problems and What We Can Do About It. 2019. Oxford University Press: New York, NY.

  8. KDIGO Executive Committee. KDIGO 2024 Clinical Practice Guideline for the Evaluation and Management of Chronic Kidney Disease. Kidney International. 2024;105(4). doi:10.1016/S0085-2538(24)00110-8

  9. Layman D, Leidy H. Appendix 4.9. High-Quality, Nutrient-Dense Protein Foods. The Scientific Foundation for the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030: Appendices. Published online January 7, 2026:346-389.

  10. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. "Nutrition Fact Check: Saturated Fat." December 2025. Accessed January 9, 2026. https://www.eatrightpro.org/-/media/files/eatrightpro/news-center/nutrition-fact-check/nfc-onepager-saturated-fats.pdf?rev=6149328734714608bd0f988498bd1749&hash=14B919CC0A60FB72BE4340003695BF45

  11. US Department of Agriculture. Nutrition Standards for School Meals | Food and Nutrition Service. Accessed January 9, 2026. https://www.fns.usda.gov/schoolmeals/nutrition-standards



Here are some of the resources from the MyPlate site, just in case these get lost to history in the coming months:





 
 

Madeline M. Gibson, RD | Client Policies

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