{"id":412944,"date":"2026-01-16T10:39:15","date_gmt":"2026-01-16T10:39:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/412944\/"},"modified":"2026-01-16T10:39:15","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T10:39:15","slug":"prioritising-protein-what-the-new-us-dietary-guidelines-get-right-and-wrong-according-to-2-nutrition-experts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/412944\/","title":{"rendered":"Prioritising protein? What the new US dietary guidelines get right \u2013 and wrong \u2013 according to 2 nutrition experts"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last week, United States health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr released<\/a> the government\u2019s revamped dietary guidelines for 2025 to 2030. <\/p>\n

These recommendations on healthy eating are updated every five years and help shape food policy and education for millions of Americans.<\/p>\n

Under the slogan \u201ceat real food\u201d, the new guidelines recommend people<\/a> \u201cprioritise protein at every meal\u201d, eat full-fat dairy and plenty of whole grains, and limit ultra-processed foods. A new food pyramid has also been redesigned and flipped on its head.<\/p>\n

But are the guidelines based in good science? And how much has actually changed?<\/p>\n

Much of the core guidance is unchanged<\/p>\n

As in previous versions, the new guidelines promote nutrient-rich foods \u2013 such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains \u2013 and appropriate portions. <\/p>\n

They continue to recommend people get protein from a variety of sources and limit added sugars and salt. Saturated fat remains capped at less than 10% of total calories. <\/p>\n

This is consistent with the long-standing body of nutrition evidence. <\/p>\n

Diets rich in whole foods<\/a> are the most strongly linked to good health overall. There is also evidence they help prevent and manage heart disease, diabetes and \u2013 increasingly \u2013 mental health<\/a>. <\/p>\n

So, what\u2019s different?<\/p>\n

1. More protein<\/p>\n

One of the major changes is an increase in recommended protein intake. The previous recommendation was 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight each day \u2013 it\u2019s now 1.2\u20131.6 grams.<\/p>\n

The change was based on a rapid review<\/a>, which mainly focused on weight loss and exercise studies. <\/p>\n

However, this evidence base is too narrow to make dietary recommendations for the whole population, which has varying needs<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The revised guidelines also encourage eating protein at every meal, without explicitly prioritising lean options<\/a>. <\/p>\n

2. Full-fat dairy<\/p>\n

The guidelines also recommend full-fat rather than low-fat dairy products. <\/p>\n

Yet many people \u2013 particularly those at higher risk of heart disease \u2013 may continue to benefit from choosing reduced-fat dairy. This is the Heart Foundation\u2019s position in both Australia<\/a> and the US<\/a>. <\/p>\n

3. Limit ultra-processed foods<\/p>\n

The new advice explicitly says people should limit and avoid ultra-processed foods.<\/p>\n

This is in line with a growing body of research<\/a> linking them to chronic disease and inflammation. <\/p>\n

Previous guidelines recommended eating \u201cnutrient-dense foods\u201d without specifically mentioning ultra-processed foods.<\/p>\n

4. A new \u2013 inverted \u2013 food pyramid<\/p>\n

The new \u201cReal Food<\/a>\u201d website contrasts its food pyramid with the 1992 food pyramid<\/a>. But that model had already been replaced by MyPlate<\/a> in 2011.<\/p>\n

\"Simple<\/p>\n

A plate diagram replaced a previous food pyramid in 2011.
\n USDA<\/a><\/p>\n

In this diagram, half the plate is made up of fruits and vegetables. Whole grains and protein each make up a quarter, and dairy is shown separately. <\/p>\n

The new pyramid marks a clear shift. Meats, dairy and oils are at the widest edge \u2013 which is now at the top \u2013 along with vegetables. Fruits, nuts and grains appear in smaller proportions at the pointy tip.<\/p>\n

Confusingly, this contradicts the written recommendations, which continue to promote 2\u20134 daily servings of whole grains and a variety of protein sources from both animal and plant foods. <\/p>\n

This visual focus on animal-based foods may encourage people to exceed the (written) recommendations to limit saturated fats at 10% of what you eat overall, and to balance plant and animal-based foods.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

The new food pyramid contradicts some of the guidelines\u2019 own written advice.
\n USDA<\/a><\/p>\n

5. Vague alcohol guidance<\/p>\n

Alcohol limits have appeared in the guidelines since 1980 \u2013 these have now been removed. The new advice is to \u201climit alcoholic beverages\u201d without quantifying what \u201climit\u201d means. <\/p>\n

Warnings about alcohol\u2019s links to cancers, present in guidelines for 25 years, have also been removed. Scientific consensus links<\/a> alcohol consumption to at least seven types of cancer.<\/p>\n

In 2024, the US Surgeon General called<\/a> for cancer warning labels on alcoholic beverages.<\/p>\n

Read more:
\n Should Australia mandate cancer warnings for alcoholic drinks?<\/a><\/p>\n

6. Low carbs recommendation<\/p>\n

The advice says people with \u201ccertain chronic diseases\u201d may benefit from following a lower carbohydrate diet. <\/p>\n

While this is supported by evidence<\/a> \u2013 for example, it can help some people manage type 2 diabetes \u2013 reducing carbohydrates won\u2019t be safe for everyone (such as children, pregnant women and older adults). <\/p>\n

So this advice shouldn\u2019t be seen as a blanket suggestion.<\/p>\n

Conflicts of interest<\/p>\n

The scientific report accompanying the new guidelines disclosed that several committee members had financial relationships with food industry groups<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Three of nine members received grants or consulting fees from the National Cattlemen\u2019s Beef Association. One also received support from the National Pork Board. <\/p>\n

At least three members were linked to dairy industry organisations, and another was involved in developing a high-protein meal replacement product.<\/p>\n

Industry connections are not new. For example, an analysis of the 2020\u201325 dietary guidelines<\/a> found 95% of committee members had conflicts of interest with food or pharmaceutical companies.<\/p>\n

However, under the Trump administration, the 2025 development process diverged from standard procedures<\/a>. <\/p>\n

The faster review lacked the usual systematic evidence protocols, public comment period and standard safeguards designed to limit individual influence and conflicts.<\/p>\n

The missing conversation<\/p>\n

\u201cEat real food\u201d is simple messaging. But for many, it\u2019s not simple in practice. <\/p>\n

Perhaps the most striking omission is the guidelines\u2019 lack of attention to socio-economic realities. The report announces a deliberate shift<\/a> away from \u201chealth equity\u201d, which considers how factors like race and income affect access to healthy food.<\/p>\n

Access to affordable, healthy food remains limited<\/a> across the US, especially for people in low-income communities, rural areas, or those working long and unpredictable hours. <\/p>\n

People choose food based on whether it\u2019s affordable, accessible and culturally relevant \u2013 but the guidelines overlooked these structural drivers.<\/p>\n

Instead, they place the responsibility for healthy eating solely on individuals, rather than within the broader food system. <\/p>\n

What does this all mean?<\/p>\n

No dietary guidelines, however well-designed, can overcome a food system that prioritises profit<\/a> over public health.<\/p>\n

While these recommendations contain some sensible advice about promoting whole foods and avoiding processed foods, they also introduce contradictions and confusion.<\/p>\n

People seeking individualised, evidence-based support for their eating should consult a dietitian<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Last week, United States health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr released the government\u2019s revamped dietary guidelines for 2025…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":412945,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[49,48,84,395],"class_list":["post-412944","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nutrition","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-health","tag-nutrition"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/412944","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=412944"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/412944\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/412945"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=412944"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=412944"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=412944"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}