Revised US Dietary Guidelines Released Amid Broader HHS Policy Changes Under Secretary Kennedy

The United States government, through the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Agriculture (USDA), has released updated dietary guidelines. These revisions, announced in early January, emphasize increased protein and healthy fat intake, along with reduced consumption of ultraprocessed foods and added sugars. The guidelines were issued nearly a year into Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s leadership of HHS, a period marked by significant organizational and policy changes, including revisions to the childhood vaccine schedule and reported declines in public trust in federal health agencies.

Overview of New Dietary Guidelines

The updated federal dietary guidelines, which aim to help prevent or slow the progression of chronic disease, represent a significant reduction in length compared to previous versions, condensing information into approximately nine pages from an earlier 150-page document.

HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stated the administration's message as "eat real food," indicating a focus on whole foods and a shift away from policies associated with highly refined foods.

Officials linked over 70% of American adults being overweight or obese to diets reliant on highly processed foods combined with sedentary lifestyles. Visual representations of the American diet have also been revised, moving from the circular MyPlate to an inverted pyramid, which positions meats, cheese, and vegetables in the widest section at the top.

Key Recommendations

The specific advice within the guidelines includes:

• Protein: A recommended intake of 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight per day. Secretary Kennedy stated that protein and healthy fats were previously "discouraged" and announced the administration is "ending the war on saturated fats."
• Fats: Prioritizing oils rich in essential fatty acids, such as olive oil. Options like butter or beef tallow are also mentioned.
• Dairy: Favoring full-fat dairy products with no added sugars, with a recommendation of three servings per day for a 2,000-calorie diet. Previous guidelines recommended low-fat or fat-free dairy for individuals over two years old.
• Grains: Prioritizing "fiber-rich" whole grains (two to four servings per day) and recommending a significant reduction in highly processed, refined carbohydrates, such as white bread and flour tortillas.
• Fruits and Vegetables: Recommending three servings of vegetables and two servings of fruits per day for a typical 2,000-calorie diet, with an emphasis on whole foods in their original form. Frozen, dried, or canned options with limited or no added sugars are also considered suitable.
• Ultraprocessed Foods and Added Sugars: Explicitly advising against "highly processed packaged, prepared, ready-to-eat, or other foods that are salty or sweet, such as chips, cookies, and candy that have added sugars and sodium (salt)." The guidelines promote nutrient-dense foods and home-prepared meals. Added sugars are to be avoided in infancy and early childhood, up to age 10.
• Infant Feeding: Recommending breast milk for the first six months, or iron-fortified formula if breast milk is unavailable. Breastfeeding can continue for two years or longer, but formula should cease after 12 months. Advice on early allergen introduction for infants is also included.
• Alcohol: Suggests "less alcohol for better health," aligning with the 2020 version but removing specific daily limits. The guidelines also recommend against consuming sugary drinks like sodas and energy drinks.

Influence on Federal Programs

The new guidelines are designed to influence federal nutrition standards for programs such as school meals, the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). They also serve as a reference for local health departments.

The School Nutrition Association has raised concerns that school meal programs may face challenges in further reducing ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) without adequate resources, citing a need for increased funding, staff, culinary training, equipment, and infrastructure. Secretary Kennedy indicated that the administration aims to make healthy foods affordable and highlighted the long-term health costs associated with processed foods.

Expert and Organizational Reactions

The updated guidelines have prompted varied reactions from health experts and organizations.

Supportive Views

• The American Medical Association (AMA) applauded the administration for "spotlighting the highly processed foods, sugar-sweetened beverages, and excess sodium that fuel heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and other chronic illnesses," stating the guidelines "affirm that food is medicine."
• The American Heart Association (AHA) commended the emphasis on vegetables, fruits, and whole grains, and the limitation of added sugars, refined grains, highly processed foods, saturated fats, and sugary drinks.
• Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist and director of the Food is Medicine Institute at Tufts University, supported the recommendations to reduce highly processed food consumption, viewing it as a significant public health action.
• The simplification of the guidelines has been viewed by some as a positive step towards improving public adherence to healthy eating habits.

Concerns and Criticisms

• Some experts raised questions regarding a potential overemphasis on red meat and dairy products.
• The AHA expressed concerns that advice on 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." The AHA encourages low-fat and fat-free dairy products for heart health and advises prioritizing plant-based proteins, seafood, and lean meats while limiting high-fat animal products. The association also called for more research on protein amounts.
• Christopher Gardner, a nutrition expert at Stanford University, stated that prioritizing red meat and saturated fats "does go against decades and decades of evidence and research."
• Dr. Walter Willett, a professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard, expressed concern that the guidelines might promote high intakes of red meat and dairy.
• Registered dietitian Bethany Doerfler from Northwestern Medicine noted that some saturated fats in full-fat dairy, while potentially less inflammatory than other animal fats, contribute more calories, increasing obesity risks. She affirmed that "more than 50 years of well-designed nutrition research demonstrates the protective effects of a dietary pattern rich in plants, unsaturated fats and limited in processed animal proteins."
• Recommendations for full-fat milk have been noted by some as lacking strong supporting data, and the focus on animal fats over seed oils has been questioned due to a lack of evidence supporting superior health benefits. The recommended protein intake is also noted as potentially exceeding the average sedentary American's requirements.

Guideline Development Process and Broader HHS Context

Federal dietary guidelines are typically updated every five years by HHS and USDA based on current research. Secretary Kennedy has previously criticized the traditional development process, which often involves a scientific advisory committee reviewing research. A report from the Trump administration's "Make Our Children Healthy Again" initiative in September indicated that future development processes, including the advisory committee structure and members, would be reformed.

Dr. Walter Willett expressed "serious concern" regarding these reforms, noting a perceived departure from the extensive experience and conflict of interest evaluations typically involved in the selection of the scientific advisory committee.

The release of these new dietary guidelines occurred in early January, nearly a year into Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s tenure as head of HHS, to which he was appointed on February 13, 2025. His first year in office has involved substantial organizational changes, including the termination of thousands of employees across agencies like the CDC, FDA, and NIH, as part of a "Department of Government Efficiency purge," with a reported aim to reduce HHS staff by approximately 20,000. In June, all 17 experts from the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel were dismissed.

Two days prior to the dietary guideline announcement in early January, HHS also announced an overhauled childhood vaccine schedule. This revised schedule removed several vaccines, including those for hepatitis B, influenza, and rotavirus, reducing the routinely recommended childhood vaccines from 17 to 11. Public health experts criticized this move, citing a lack of current scientific evidence for the changes and concerns about potential erosion of public trust and an increase in preventable diseases. For example, the flu vaccine, which has been cited as 70-90% effective against hospitalization, was removed from universal recommendation for children, despite a recent flu season (2024-25) marking the highest number of child deaths from influenza since 2004.

Polling data from the KFF health policy and research group indicated a decline in public trust in government health agencies during this period. Overall trust in the CDC as a reliable health information source reportedly fell from 59% to 47% in a year, with declines across political affiliations. Trust in Secretary Kennedy himself as a source of health information was reported at 37% in January.

HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon stated that Secretary Kennedy's mandate is to restore transparency, scientific rigor, and accountability, claiming HHS operates with unprecedented disclosure.