The US Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture have issued updated dietary guidelines, highlighting eating “real food.”
The updated guidelines emphasised reducing sugar intake, ultraprocessed products, and increasing protein intake.
The advisory reflects Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” agenda and is shorter than the 2020 version.
As per the new guidance, protein is now recommended on a body-weight basis, which is 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilogram.
Moreover, it allowed full-fat dairy with no added sugar, strongly advised to change their dietary pattern and switch from trans fats to unsaturated fats such as Monounsaturated fatty foods (MUFA’s) and Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA’s).
Added sugars and sugary drinks are strongly discouraged, and alcohol guidance now broadly urges less consumption without specifying daily limits.
Ultraprocessed foods are singled out, with Americans recommended to choose nutrient-rich, home-prepared meals instead, as they are much healthier than food consumed from outside.
Furthermore, the guidelines introduce an inverted food pyramid that places meats, cheese, and vegetables at the top, moving away from the long-standing MyPlate model.
Some experts praised the updated guidelines, as it poses greater health impact, while others raised concerns regarding increased emphasis on red meat and full-fat dairy.
Nutritionists stressed that plant-rich diets with unsaturated fats remain best supported by decades of research.
