New dietary guidelines emphasize protein

The new Dietary Guidelines for Americans, released by the federal government earlier this month, leave a lot of room for interpretation and personalization, according to a local registered dietitian.  

Issued by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the guidelines represent the first significant revision since 1980, when the guidelines were first issued. The new document abandons the former use of a dinner plate image — called “My Plate” — to describe healthy eating and uses an inverted “Dietary Pyramid” image to exhort Americans to “eat real food.”

According to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the guidelines adhere to his Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) philosophy. The document states: “These guidelines mark the most significant reset of federal nutrition policy in our nation’s history. The message is simple: eat real food.”

According to the federal government, more than 70% of Americans are overweight or obese, and almost 1 in 3 adolescents has prediabetes. Obesity-related illnesses are the result of the “standard American diet,” which is heavy on processed foods, according to the USDA.

One major change to the document is its length. The new guidelines are far shorter and less specific and comprehensive than previous guidelines. While the previous guidelines were 453 pages long, the new document is a scant six pages. Traditionally, the Dietary Guidelines are used by nutritionists and dietitians to plan school meals, military and veteran meals, and other child and adult nutrition programs while meeting nutrition standards. 

“I do think they are trying to streamline things, and that’s helpful,” says Ashley Sobolewski, a registered dietitian and licensed dietitian nutritionist. Sobolewski is affiliated with MAPS Integrated Wellness in Fernandina Beach. “They are very general. I do believe they require being broken down and personalized for each person.”

The new image of an upside-down pyramid is used to encourage more consumption of meat and dairy and less sugar and refined grains. The image replaces the “healthy plate” concept of eating. That concept asked Americans to envision a dinner plate with fruits and vegetables filling half the plate and smaller portions devoted to protein and carbohydrates.

Many dietitians liked the “My Plate” concept, says Sobolewski.

The new guidelines “are emphasizing real, whole food. I like that,” she says. “I did prefer the ‘plate’ method; I thought it was more user-friendly. It seemed more relatable. However, there are good aspects about [the new guidelines]. It’s never one-size-fits-all. It’s supposed to be general.”

The guidelines also vary from past versions on other points.

Protein

The new guidelines promote consumption of protein — from 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. That exceeds previous recommendations significantly. But, in a statement, the USDA said previous Dietary Guidelines “have demonized protein in favor of carbohydrates.” The new guidelines instead promote consumption of protein from a variety of animal sources, including eggs, poultry, seafood and red meat, in addition to plant-sourced protein foods such as beans, peas, lentils, legumes, nuts, seeds and soy.

The protein recommendation “is a general statement,” Sobolewski says. “They are saying people require more protein. I wish they would have emphasized that the average American needs more fiber. My thought is people are probably getting enough protein. But the average American isn’t getting enough fiber.”

Meat and fat

Some criticism of the new guidelines stems from the emphasis on consuming more beef. Many types of meat are high in saturated fat.

In explaining the new emphasis on eating meat, the USDA said, in a statement: “We are realigning our food system to support American farmers, ranchers and companies who grow and produce real food — and the Trump administration is working to ensure all families can afford it. We are putting real food back at the center of the American diet.”

However, the guidelines have come under attack because several of the authors of the report have financial and business ties to the meat and dairy industries.

“There could be some confusion,” about the advice on meat and the placement of a meat at the top of the inverted-pyramid image, Sobolewski says.

“They are trying to emphasize real whole food,” she says. “Meat and dairy are real, whole friends. Fruits and vegetables are equally important. It’s all about balance.”

The recommendations adhere to the previously published advice to limit saturated fats to 10% or less of total daily calories. However, the document also encourages cooking with beef tallow (beef fat) and butter, which are high in saturated fat.

The advice on cooking oils may be one of the more confounding parts of the new document. Typically, nutritionists advise using seed oils like soybean oil and canola oil to limit reliance on higher saturated-fat oils and butter. Seed oils mainly contain unsaturated fats. However, Kennedy has said repeatedly that he thinks seed oils are unhealthy. There is no scientific evidence to support that claim.

“I think it’s fine to say consume less seed oil,” Sobolewski says. But whether people should cook with butter or beef tallow “depends on the whole picture of someone’s diet. If someone is eating a lot of beef or steak, I’d say avoid beef tallow.

“This is where health care professionals come in. We’re here to translate it for people.”

Most fat in the diet should come from whole-food sources, such as meat, poultry, eggs, omega-3-rich seafood, nuts, seeds, full-fat dairy, olives and avocados, according to the guidelines. Whole milk consumption is encouraged. However, the American Heart Association encourages consumption of lower-fat milk as a more heart-healthy approach.

Processed foods

The new guidelines take a strong stand on avoiding processed foods and foods that are high in salt and sugar. The document calls for avoiding sugar-sweetened beverages, such as sodas, fruit drinks and energy drinks.

The document is especially critical of sugar intake stating: “no amount of added sugars or non-nutritive sweeteners is recommended or considered part of a healthy or nutritious diet.” Parents should avoid added sugar for children ages 4 and under, the guidelines state.

Whole grains, vegetables and fruit

Americans should prioritize fiber-rich whole grains and reduce the intake of highly processed, refined carbohydrates, such as white bread, packaged breakfast foods, flour tortillas and crackers, according to the guidelines. This advice adheres to standard nutritional advice. The new guidelines also mirror the previous recommendation to consume five or more servings a day of vegetables and fruit.

Alcohol

Previous guidelines suggest no more than two drinks a day for men and no more than one for women. However, the new document dispenses with those restrictions and issues a more general admonition to "limit” alcohol use. The change has generated criticism from some health experts.

In a Jan. 9 statement, the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) expressed “deep concern that the revised DGA [Dietary Guidelines for Americans] omit specific guidance related to alcohol consumption. Earlier editions of the DGA provided clear daily limits for alcohol consumption based on available evidence. In contrast, the 2025–2030 guidelines do not establish any daily limits and do not account for biological differences in alcohol metabolism between men and women. ... These guidelines fall short in this respect and deny Americans evidence-based recommendations to make healthy choices.”

It may be best for people to consult their primary care provider or specialty health care providers for personalized advice on alcohol consumption and other nutrition questions, Sobolewski says. And for people who are more confused than ever by dietary guidelines, she suggests following the “Intuitive Eating” philosophy, a popular, non-dieting approach to meal planning that debuted in the mid-1990s.

“Intuitive eating talks about empowering each person to find out what’s best for them; what’s good for them at that moment, according to their medical history and preferences and background,” Sobolewski says.