WASHINGTON \u2014 The Trump administration is \u201cturning the food pyramid upside down\u201d with new guidelines for feeding programs that will emphasize eating plenty of protein and saturated fats \u2014 while discouraging the consumption of sugar and highly processed foods.<\/p>\n
The White House released the revised Dietary Guidelines for Americans as part of a news conference Wednesday with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins touting potential benefits in reducing chronic diseases for all Americans.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are ending the war on saturated fats,\u201d Kennedy said \u2014 referring to products that are generally solid at room temperature like cheese, butter and fat in meats, which now are recommended to form the bulk of diets alongside meat and produce like carrots and broccoli.<\/p>\n
The Trump administration is \u201cturning the food pyramid upside down\u201d with new guidelines for feeding programs that will emphasize eating plenty of protein and healthy fats. USDA<\/p>\n
The recommendations will directly impact millions of daily meals served in America\u2019s public schools, military bases, prisons and various federal facilities.<\/p>\n
\u201cToday our government declares war on added sugar. Highly processed food loaded with additives \u2014 added sugar and excess salt \u2014 damage health and should be avoided,\u201d Kennedy declared at the briefing.<\/p>\n
\u201cDiets rich in vegetables and fruits reduce disease risk more effectively than many drugs. Whole grains outperform refined carbohydrates,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese guidelines replace corporate-driven assumptions [and] will revolutionize our nation\u2019s food culture and make America healthy again.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kennedy, a former Democrat who endorsed Trump in 2024 and followed him into office with a \u201cMake America Healthy Again\u201d mantra, said prior food guidelines were the result of corporate influence, without specifying which firms allegedly benefited.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe hard truth is our government has been lying to us to protect corporate profit-taking, telling us that these food-like substances were beneficial to public health,\u201d Kennedy said.<\/p>\n
High-quality proteins like poultry, red meat and beans; fats from eggs or dairy; fruits, vegetable and \u201cfiber-rich\u201d whole grains are promoted in the new guidelines. vladimirkolens \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n
A major goal of the so-called \u201cwhole food framework\u201d will be \u201creducing health care costs,\u201d as the US has seen surging rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes and other chronic diseases. baibaz \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n
New dietary guideline food pyramid released by the USDA Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026. USDA<\/p>\n
\u201cToday the lies stop. The new guidelines recognize that whole, nutrient-dense food is the most effective path to better health and lower healthcare costs. Protein and healthy fats are essential and were wrongfully discouraged in prior dietary guidelines.\u201d<\/p>\n
High-quality proteins like poultry, red meat and beans; fats from eggs or dairy; fruits, vegetable and \u201cfiber-rich\u201d whole grains are in \u2014 and starchy carbs such as white bread, crackers, or \u201csugar-sweetened\u201d beverages as well as pre-packaged and ready-to-eat treats like chips, cookies and fast food are out.<\/p>\n
A major goal of the so-called \u201cwhole food framework\u201d will be \u201creducing health care costs,\u201d as the US has seen surging rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes and other chronic diseases that are costing taxpayers roughly $600 billion per year, according to a White House fact sheet.<\/p>\n
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At least 78% of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program participants are also on Medicaid, per the fact sheet, and administration officials expect the nation\u2019s chronic disease rate could be \u201cdramatically\u201d lowered if different incentives are made.<\/p>\n
Officials said the shift won\u2019t directly alter SNAP, which is overseen by Congress and feeds more than 40 million Americans, but will become the gold standard for \u201cover 100 government feeding programs in over 10 government agencies.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have five times higher obesity rates than any other country in the developed world,\u201d one official said. \u201cThis is because of our diet.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kennedy\u2019s MAHA movement gained traction during his 2024 bid for the presidency \u2014 and he\u2019s since extolled the benefits of protein-rich diets while in office.<\/p>\n
In a March 2025 visit to West Virginia, the health secretary gave a few diet tips and even offered to be the personal trainer of Gov. Patrick Morrisey.<\/p>\n
In a March 2025 visit to West Virginia, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. gave a few diet tips and even offered to be the personal trainer of Gov. Patrick Morrisey. Getty Images<\/p>\n
The Trump White House\u2019s fact sheet faulted the Biden administration for backtracking on addressing chronic diseases and improving Americans\u2019 diets by making equity the \u201ccentral prism\u201d of all nutritional guidelines. Getty Images<\/p>\n