ճ(DGAs) were releasedthis weekwith the tagline“eat real food,”anda stronger stance on limitingadded sugars and highly processedfoods.
But it alsobroughtthereturn of a pyramid-likegraphic—this timeflippedon its head,emphasizing foods like steak, full-fatmilk, and butter.ճvisualprominence of suchoptionsmight have youthinkingsaturated fat limitswere tossed outwith the MyPlate graphic, butthe actualGuidelinesretainthe longstanding upper limit of 10% oftotaldaily calories.
“I think the new Guidelines move in the right direction by reinforcing the importance of reducing added sugarsand cutting back on refined grains and other highly processed foods,”said , professor of nutrition and epidemiology and chair of the Department of ɫƵ at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. “However,there appear to be severalcontradictionswithin the DGAs and between the DGAs and thenew pyramid. The mixed messages surrounding saturated-fat-rich foods such as red meat, butter, and beef tallow may lead to confusion and potentially higher intake of saturated fatand increased LDL cholesterol and cardiovascular risk.”
While the other largest section of the pyramid is sensibly composed of vegetables and fruits,Dr.Hudid flagtherelatively smallerdepictionofwholegrains in the pyramid despite the Guidelines’ recommendation of 2-4servings perday.
Thesedetailsmatter, asimages and taglines may be more memorable than the nuanced details and underlying text.It’sone of the reasons why wecreatedourHealthy Eating Plate(and theHealthy Eating Pyramidbefore that).
Belowweunpack somekey changes in this newestedition oftheDGAs,considering bothitswrittenguidance andthe“New Food Pyramid.”
Calling out“highly processed” foods
³𱹾dzܲٳҴhave emphasized whole foods while minimizing added sugar and sodium, this edition isthe first to call outa broader category of“highly processedfoods.”Althoughthis terminology issomewhat vagueon the surface(food processing is a spectrum after all),the textrecommends avoidingsugar-sweetened beveragesas well assalty or sweet packaged snacks and ready-to-eat foods(even the illustrated yogurt container in the pyramid specifies “unsweetened”). The guidanceon grainsprioritizes whole, fiber-rich optionswhilecallingfor a significant reduction inhighly processed, refined carbohydrates,such as white bread.
Further reductions on added sugar
ճnewDGAs take an overallstrict position onsweets, noting that“noamountof added sugars or non-nutritive sweeteners is recommended or considered part of a healthy or nutritious diet.”In practice,itrecommendsno one meal shouldcontainmore than 10 grams ofadded sugars (although meals aren’t generally how people track added sugar in their diet). This isreduction from the𱹾dzܲٳҴ’ limit of 10% of daily calories (e.g.,50 grams ofaddedsugareach dayin a2,000-caloriediet).It alsonow calls forchildrentoavoidaddedsugars until age 10—a jump from age 2.The DGAs are clear on avoiding added sugar, but far less clear on how these recommendations can be implemented in everyday life.
Contradictory guidance on healthy fats
When it comes to dietary fat and long-term health outcomes,what’smost important is thetype of fat you eat—reducing saturated fat and replacing it with sources of unsaturated fat.As mentioned, the DGAs maintained existing consensus thatsaturated fat consumptionshould not exceed 10% of total dailycalories.
What’s confusingis that the“healthy fat” guidancegroupsanimal-based foods higher in saturated fat—such as meats andfull-fat dairy—with plant-based foods lower in saturated fat.There is no mentionas towhichof thesefoodsshould be chosenmore or less oftentohelpstay within the upper limit.And on the pyramid, steak, cheese, whole milk, and butterseem to playaprominent role.
Saturated fat math
What does this guidance look like in daily practice?Let’stake a2,000-caloriedietwhere the10% limit equates toroughly 22grams of saturated fat.In the,3 servings of dairy are recommendeddaily.If full fat versions are selected for the examples given[one 8-oz cup of whole milk (5 grams saturated fat);¾ cup of full-fat Greek yogurt (6 grams);1ounceofcheddar cheese (6 grams)], youare already at17 gramsof saturated fat.If you were to add a single tablespoon of butter (7 grams)or beef tallow(6 grams)—both suggestedcooking fatoptions—you’reover the limit.And thisisn’teven consideringother foods consumed throughout theday,including some of therecommended protein options (more on that below).
While olive oil is visualized in the pyramid and suggested as a healthy fat, it is referenced as an option with “essential fatty acids.” While olive oil is a healthy choice lower in saturated fat (2 grams per tablespoon), Dr. Hu explains how there are better sources when consuming essential fatty acids is the goal:
“Olive oilcontainsmostly oleic acid, butrelativelysmallamountsof essential fatty acids such as alpha-linolenic acid and linoleic acidcompared with otheroils that are rich sources of these fatty acids, such as soybean oil and canola oil. Importantly,allthese plant oils have been shown to lower LDL cholesterol and cardiovascular risk compared withanimal fats such asbutteror tropical fats such as coconut oiland palm oil.”
Hypearoundprotein quantity
The new DGAs suggest that adults consume 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day,50-100% more than what was previously recommended forminimumintake.Certainly, protein needs are highly variable—andwider ranges have been set bygroups like the National Academy of Medicines—butthese needs are bestdeterminedby a healthcare provider or a registered dietitian, as consuming excess protein can still be converted tofatin the bodyandlead toweight gain.What’salsomissing from the Guidelines isclarity on the quality of different protein foods, especially when.
“Substantially raising overall protein intake without distinguishing between different protein sources may have unintended long-term health implications,” says Dr. Hu. “Evidence continues to suggest that plant-based proteins and fish are associated with more favorable health outcomes than diets high in red meat.”
When we eat foods for protein, we also eat everything that comes alongside it:the different fats, fiber, sodium, and more.It’sthisprotein “package”that’slikely to make a difference for health. While theGuidelines recommend a “variety of protein foods” from both animal and plant sources,there’sno clearmessagingabout which options should be chosen moreregularly. Given theDGAs’statedsaturated fat limits,this is an important consideration depending on what other foods are consumed throughout the day.For example:
- A 4-ounce broiled sirloin steak isasignificant sourceof protein—about 33 gramsworth. But it also delivers about 5 grams of saturated fat.
- A cup of cooked lentils provides about 18 grams of protein and 15 grams of fiber, and it hasvirtually nosaturated fat.
“Less” Alcohol
Onalcohol, the DGAs offer a vague message to “consume less alcohol for better health,” Without concrete limits, it’s hard for people to know what “less” actually means.
Still no consideration of environmental impacts
Anotherconcern is that the DGAs do notconsider the environmental and socioeconomicimpactof dietary recommendations.This omission is problematic because food choicessignificantlyaffect the environment, and in turn are strongly shaped by socioeconomicand cultural factors.
Bottom line
Despitestronger positionsonadded sugars and highly processed foods,and technical alignment with the scientific consensus on saturated fat limits,certainaspects of the2025Guidelinessend mixed signals. ճNew Food Pyramidgraphic itselfis particularly puzzling, given the visual emphasis on animal products high in saturated fat.Although DGAs aretypicallylaunchedas policy documents, this editionappearsmore consumer-friendly, givenits shorter length,associated graphics, and interactive website.Historically, research finds that, so it remains to be seen if this edition will be any different.However, ifyoufind yourselfconfusedby some of the conflicting messaging,we recommendchecking outtheHealthy Eating Plate, or consulting a registered dietitian for more personalized guidance.
Related: A different road to this year’s DGAs
Every five years, the DGAs are updated by the U.S. Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services (HHS) for use by federal nutrition program operators, policy makers, and healthcare providers. But first, the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee—an independent group of nutrition science experts—summarizes the current state of nutrition science without influence from government or food industry. Members are vetted through extensive background checks, undergo ethics training, and scientific committee meetings are livestreamed. The public is also given opportunities tosubmitcomments. After two years of evidence review and synthesis, the Committee releasedtheirto USDA and HHS.
But this time around, the Committee’s report wasultimately rejectedby the current administration. Instead, awas conducted by a group of individuals selected through a“federal contracting process.”Although the supplemental document notes that “evidence was evaluated based solely on scientific rigor” and underwent “internal quality checks” with external peer review, some have raised concern over the lack of transparency in their process. In an, Deirdre Tobias, assistant professor in the Department of ɫƵ who served on the2025-2030Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, noted:
“As of today, there has not been transparency in who wrote the new DGAs.Although there are documents included in the appendices by named scientists, there is no transparency in themethodologyand rigor that was employed, or why certain topics were selected to be relitigated. The reviews themselves, as well as their overall presentation and integration, deviate significantly from the rigorous process that the HHS developed for the DGAs to ensure the evidence base and its committees’ conclusions were replicable, unbiased, transparent, and free from non-scientific influences.”
Othershave also(which isdisclosedin the supplemental analysis), given the prime placement of meat and dairy products in the DGAs.