When U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins released the federal government’s “Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030” earlier this year, they hailed the document as the most significant reset of federal nutrition policy in decades, boiling down the report with three words: “eat real food.”
The shift is important, they say, as nearly 90% of healthcare spending goes toward treating chronic disease, much of it linked to diet and lifestyle. More than 70% of American adults are overweight or obese, and nearly one in three adolescents has prediabetes.
“These guidelines return us to the basics,” Kennedy said. “American households must prioritize whole, nutrient-dense foods — protein, dairy, vegetables, fruits, healthy fats, and whole grains — and dramatically reduce highly processed foods.”
Added Rollins, “at long last, we are realigning our food system to support American farmers, ranchers, and companies that grow and produce real food. Farmers and ranchers are at the forefront of the solution, and that means more protein, dairy, vegetables, fruits, healthy fats, and whole grains on American dinner tables.”
Dr. Bobby Mukkamala
“Today, the AMA is making significant commitments to improve clinical competency, deliver educational resources for physicians, and work with Congress to enact meaningful, lasting nutrition change that can improve lives. The AMA is focused on helping physicians translate this science into everyday care and helping patients improve their overall health.”
The new Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA), available at realfood.gov, emphasize the following recommendations:
• 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 of food based on age, sex, size, and activity level;
• Choose water and unsweetened beverages to support hydration; and
• Limit alcohol consumption for better overall health.
The guidelines also provide tailored recommendations for infants and children, adolescents, pregnant and lactating women, older adults, individuals with chronic disease, and vegetarians and vegans, ensuring nutritional adequacy across every stage of life.
Measured Praise
Major medical groups largely hailed the report, albeit with some pushback on the new protein emphasis.
“The American Medical Assoc. (AMA) applauds the administration’s new dietary guidelines for spotlighting the highly processed foods, sugar-sweetened beverages, and excess sodium that fuel heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and other chronic illnesses. The guidelines affirm that food is medicine and offer clear direction patients and physicians can use to improve health,” said Dr. Bobby Mukkamala, AMA president.
“Today, the AMA is making significant commitments to improve clinical competency, deliver educational resources for physicians, and work with Congress to enact meaningful, lasting nutrition change that can improve lives. The AMA is focused on helping physicians translate this science into everyday care and helping patients improve their overall health.”
The AMA also announced plans to launch a curated collection of nutrition education resources and continuing medical education; convene a series of roundtables with physicians, nutrition experts, and public health leaders to strengthen nutrition education and clinical competency; and work with Congress to incentivize nutrient-dense foods, expand food labeling efforts, define ultra-processed foods, and increase investment in nutrition research.
The American Heart Assoc. (AHA) also welcomed the report, particularly noting the emphasis on increasing intake of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains while limiting consumption of added sugars, refined grains, highly processed foods, saturated fats, and sugary drinks, all of which align closely with its own long-standing dietary guidance.
“In general, protein intake among Americans is adequate. Maybe some older adults have marginal intake, but the tone of the new DGA sounded like we have widespread inadequate protein intake.”
At the same time, “we see an important opportunity to educate consumers about the scientific basis for certain recommendations,” the AHA noted. “For example, we are concerned that recommendations regarding salt seasoning and red meat consumption could inadvertently lead consumers to exceed recommended limits for sodium and saturated fats, which are primary drivers of cardiovascular disease. While the guidelines highlight whole-fat dairy, the Heart Association encourages consumption of low-fat and fat-free dairy products, which can be beneficial to heart health.
“Protein is an essential component of a healthy diet, and we urge more scientific research on both the appropriate amount of protein consumption and the best protein sources for optimal health,” the AHA went on. “Pending that research, 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.”
More Protein Concerns
The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health released an interview with three of its faculty members who served on the report’s advisory committee: Teresa Fung, adjunct professor of Nutrition; Edward Giovannucci, professor of Nutrition and Epidemiology; and Deirdre Tobias, assistant professor of Nutrition.
“With some key exceptions, I was appreciative that the quantitative recommendations outlined in the new DGA are actually quite consistent with previous DGAs, carrying forward the recommended servings for the foundational food groups of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy, and oils,” Tobias noted. “Long-standing limits for saturated fat (less than 10% of calories) and sodium were kept the same. The new DGAs also continue to emphasize whole foods.
“However, the biggest deviation from the science is a new prioritization of animal sources within the protein food group, instead of a plant-forward pattern,” she added, echoing the AHA’s concern. “Other critical deviations from science include the recommendation for full-fat dairy. Although vegetable oils were not forbidden, they were notably absent from being listed among healthy oils, despite being primary sources of essential unsaturated fatty acids.”
Fung agreed that the emphasis on animal protein, especially red meats, stood out. “In general, protein intake among Americans is adequate. Maybe some older adults have marginal intake, but the tone of the new DGA sounded like we have widespread inadequate protein intake.”
Still, Giovannucci added, “there are some positive aspects of the guidelines, such as the call to ‘avoid highly processed packaged, prepared, ready-to-eat, or other foods that are salty or sweet’ and avoid sugar-sweetened beverages. The guidelines are hard on added sugar, especially for children. Prioritizing fiber-rich whole grains and reducing refined grains is appropriate. These are good starting points.”
Fung noted that clinicians, nutritionists, and others use the federal guidelines to teach healthy eating, and a a number of federal nutrition programs also follow its standards, including the National School Lunch Program and Women, Infants, and Children. Changes in the new DGA may affect the food and nutrient requirements of these programs.
