Dietary guidelines call for ‘real food’ from farmers
Published 4:41 pm Wednesday, January 7, 2026
Meat and whole milk on top of new food pyramid
The Trump administration has released new dietary guidelines, recommending Americans load up on protein and don’t shy away from meat, eggs and whole milk.
The administration touted the guidelines as the biggest reset of nutrition policy in decades. The guidelines depend on farmers and ranchers producing “nutrient-dense, whole foods,” Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said.
“By making milk, raising cattle and growing wholesome fruits, vegetables and grains, they hold the key to solving our national health crisis,” she said a White House press conference Jan. 7.
The federal government updates dietary guidelines every five years. The Trump administration tossed out the familiar food pyramid, which recommended generous servings of bread, cereals, rice and pasta.
In its place is an inverted pyramid topped by steak, poultry, cheese, vegetables, fruits and a carton labeled “whole milk.” The previous dietary guidelines recommended drinking low-fat milk.
“You don’t need to tip-toe around fat and dairy. You don’t need to push low-fat milk to kids,” Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary said.
Commodity groups react
The guidelines urge Americans to drink alcohol sparingly, and avoid added sugars, refined carbohydrates, sugar-sweetened beverages and highly processed foods.
The guidelines point Americans toward eating “real food,” Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said. “These new guidelines will revolutionize our nation’s food culture and make America healthy again,” he said.
Reaction varied among commodity groups. USA Pulses said growers of beans, peas, lentils and chickpeas could help Americans follow the dietary guidelines with vegetables and protein.
The American Soybean Association said it was deeply concerned by the rhetoric and “selectively cited studies” regarding the health and safety of soybean oil in a report supporting the guidelines.
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association praised the guidelines for recommending protein at every meal. “We appreciate Secretary Rollins and Secretary Kennedy underling the role of beef as an important part of a healthy diet,” said NCBA Vice President Kim Brackett, an Idaho rancher.
The Meat Institute, which represents processors, said it will work to ensure policymakers understand “minimally processed and further processed meat and poultry products” are affordable and accessible protein sources.
The guidelines have no immediate regulatory power, but could eventually influence federal food assistance programs and meals served at schools and other public institutions.
“There is a lot of work to do. Nothing changes overnight,” Rollins said.
Recommendations include:
• Eat 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day. This roughly doubles the previous recommendation. “The old protein guidelines were to prevent starvation and withering away,” Makary said.
• Adults should avoid added sugars and children under 4 should eat no added sugar. “Today, our government declares war on added sugar,” Kennedy said.
• Significantly reduce consumption of highly processed, refined carbohydrates, such as white bread, flour tortillas, crackers and ready-to-eat breakfasts.
• Eat three servings of vegetables, two servings of fruit and two to four servings of whole grains daily. The fruits and vegetables can be fresh, frozen, canned or dried, Rollins said.
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