U.S. dietary guidelines 2026: What Michiganders need to know about the new food pyramid

The U.S. government said it’s rebuilding the nation’s food culture after decades of unhealthy eating.

On Wednesday, Jan. 7, officials released the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2025-2030) which focus on eating nutrient-dense “real food” over highly processed food and cutting down on added sugars.

Real foods are defined as whole or minimally processed foods with few ingredients and without added sugars, industrial oils, artificial flavors or preservatives.

Federal officials update dietary guidelines every five years. The guidance is used for school lunches, military meals and food assistance programs.

Using “gold-standard science” and “common sense,” the updated guidelines will help rebuild the nation’s broken system from the ground up, according to the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA).

“At long last, we are realigning our food system to support American farmers, ranchers, and companies that grow and produce real food,“ said Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins in a statement. ”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.”

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. unveiled the new guidelines at at White House press conference on Wednesday.

Kennedy has pointed to the nation’s high rates of obesity and chronic conditions as evidence of a need for systemic change. Half of Americans have diabetes or prediabetes, and 75% of adults report having at least one chronic condition, according to HHS.

“These guidelines return us to the basics,” Kennedy said in a prepared statement. “This is how we make America healthy again.”

What is the latest guidance?

The new food pyramid is an inverted version of the prior illustration. It prioritizes protein, dairy, healthy fats, vegetables and fruits all on top, with whole grains placed at the bottom.

Officials recommend prioritizing high-quality, nutrient-dense protein and healthy fats at every meal. Variety from animal and plant sources is ideal, including eggs, seafood, meats, full-fat dairy, nuts, seeds, olives and avocadoes.

Vegetables and fruits share the largest portion of the pyramid. Guidelines recommend a variety of fresh and minimally processed foods in their original form. Frozen, dried or canned options can be good replacements if they have little to no added sugars.

For whole grains, the guidelines recommend avoiding refined carbohydrates that are highly processed like white bread, ready-to-eat breakfast items, flour tortillas and crackers. Instead, focus on fiber-rich whole grains like whole-wheat bread and brown rice.

Daily targets for each category are as follows:

Protein: 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight.Vegetables: 3 servings per day.Fruits: 2 servings per day.Whole grains: 2-4 servings per day.Dairy: 3 servings per day.

Limit added sugars

The guidelines place a heavy focus on reducing added sugars, which are different from naturally occurring sugars and often listed in the ingredients including the words “sugar,” “syrup” or end in “-ose.”

Some names for added sugar found on food labels include high-fructose corn syrup, agave syrup, corn syrup, rice syrup, fructose, glucose, dextrose, sucrose, cane sugar, beet sugar, turbinado sugar, maltose, lactose, fruit juice concentrate, honey, and molasses.

Officials recommend limiting the amount of added sugars to no more than 10 grams per meal.

When looking for more flavor in your food, look to salt, spices and herbs over added sugars, chemical additives or refined carbohydrates or starches.

Avoid chips, cookies and candy. When choosing a snack, grains like crackers should not exceed 5 grams of added sugar per 3/4 ounce whole-grain equivalent. Similarly, dairy snacks like yogurt should not exceed 2.5 grams of added sugar per 2/3 cup equivalent.

Beverages

The ideal beverage is water or unsweetened drinks to accompany a meal or snack.

Officials suggest avoiding sugar-sweetened beverages like sodas, fruit drinks and energy drinks. For 100% fruit or vegetable juices, limit them or dilute them with water.

Regarding alcohol, the guidelines say to consume less alcohol for better overall health. It should be completely avoided if you’re pregnant, are recovering from alcohol use disorder, or if your medical condition or medication can interact with alcohol.

What else is included in the guidelines?

Instead of a daily calorie goal, the guidelines say calories depend on your age, sex, height, weight and level of physical activity. They recommend portion control, especially for higher-calorie foods.

When it comes to cooking method, officials say ditch deep-frying in favor of baking, broiling, roasting, stir-frying or grilling.

Limit saturated fats to 10% of total daily calories. Most people age 14 and older should consume less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day.

Reducing highly processed foods will help meet both the saturated fat and sodium daily recommendations.

For more in-depth recommendations, visit realfood.gov and download The Dietary Guidelines for Americans.