America’s updated Dietary Guidelines set the stage for a shift in nutrition policy, highlighting protein, whole foods and processed-food reduction – and raising questions for industry strategy and regulation.
The 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines urge Americans to eat more whole, minimally processed foods and fewer highly processed items. While it does not define “highly processed foods,” the guidelines discourage consumption of foods high in added sugar, sodium and artificial ingredients.
More on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans provides nutrition recommendations that serve as the foundation for federal nutrition programs, including school meals and SNAP benefits. It is updated every five years following a rigorous review process that some say is overly influenced by industry stakeholders and politics.
For more background on the most recent update check out these stories:
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HHS calls the new seven-page guidelines (compared to the previous 149) the “most significant reset of federal nutrition policy in decades,” aiming to restore “science and common sense” to federal guidance. According to the HHS fact sheet, the report prioritizes high-quality protein at every meal, emphasizes whole fruits, vegetables and grains, and warns against highly processed foods laden with refined carbs, added sugars, excess sodium, unhealthy fats and chemical additives.
Protein, dairy and fats: Bigger, bolder recommendations
Animal-based protein is now suggested at every meal, with the report recommending total intakes from all sources rising to 84–112 grams in the 2025–2030 report versus 56 grams per 2,000 calories in the 2020–2025 report. Full-fat dairy is encouraged over low-fat options, and saturated fats from butter and beef tallow are included as part of a healthy diet – a notable departure from previous guidance.
The HHS fact sheet emphasizes that most dietary fats should come from whole-food sources, such as meats, seafood, eggs, nuts, seeds, full-fat dairy, olives and avocados – while nutrient-dense oils like olive oil are preferred when adding fats to a meal.
Vegetables, fruits and whole grains
Vegetables and fruits remain central, though slightly less prescriptive than in the previous guidance from 2020, according to the report. Whole grains (which contain fiber, vitamins and minerals) remain emphasized, forming the base of the updated food pyramid, while refined grains (which are milled to remove macro components for shelf stability and texture) continue to be discouraged. The guidelines also introduce flexibility for individualized dietary options, including lower-carbohydrate approaches for people managing chronic diseases.
Added sugars, sodium and gut health
The guidelines continue to advise limiting added sugars and sodium, while highlighting fiber-rich and fermented foods for gut health. The HHS fact sheet goes further, noting that “no amount of added sugars or non-nutritive sweeteners is recommended as part of a healthy diet,” particularly for young children.
Limiting highly processed foods
The 2025–2030 report is explicit about limiting highly processed foods, added sugars and sodium, a shift from 2020 where the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee found inconclusive evidence on the impact of ultra-processed food on health given the lack of a uniform definition. As a result, the 2020-2025 DGAC cited a need for more research.
Alcohol guidance is slightly weaker, suggesting moderation rather than strict limits.
Overall, the guidelines pivot from risk-avoidance to a whole-food, nutrient-focused approach, prioritizing animal proteins and fats while continuing to promote vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Experts agree that the focus on highly processed foods is the clearest public health improvement.
Industry and expert push back
Critics argue the guidelines are muddled, contradictory and ideologically driven.
The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) called the report “insufficient” and released an Uncompromised Dietary Guidelines Americans, 2025–2030 report, emphasizing plant-forward eating and clearer guidance on processed foods.
“We appreciate that the new Dietary Guidelines maintain limits on saturated fat and sodium and emphasize fruits, vegetables, whole foods and water, but they simultaneously promote animal protein, butter and full-fat dairy – contradicting their own saturated fat guidance and the Advisory Committee’s science-based recommendations to prioritize plant-based proteins. This mixed messaging is confusing at best and harmful at worst for the one in four Americans whose meals are shaped by federal nutrition programs based on these Guidelines,” CSPI commented.
Marion Nestle, professor of nutrition, food studies and public health, Emerita, New York University highlighted several gaps. She said the guidelines correctly urge limiting highly processed foods, but added many recommendations are confusing or inconsistent.
For example, she said, protein and animal-based foods are prioritized despite most Americans already meeting protein needs, and increasing meat and full-fat dairy conflicts with saturated fat and calorie limits. The emphasis on fats like butter and beef tallow ignores better plant-based sources of essential fatty acids, she said.
Overall, she said, the report takes a retro approach to diets, favoring meat and dairy over plant-forward patterns, and reflects political ideology more than public health evidence.
The American Heart Association (AHA) issued a statement welcoming the “new dietary guidelines and commends the inclusion of several important science-based recommendations,” including greater consumption of vegetables, fruit and whole grains, while limiting added sugars, refined grains, highly processed foods, saturated fats and sugary drinks.
The organization raised concern about sodium and saturated fat consumption from salt seasoning, red meat and whole-fat dairy from the report, and instead encourages low-fat and fat-free dairy products to improve cardiovascular health.
On protein, AHA encourages more research on the “appropriate amount of protein consumption and the best protein sources for optimal health,” such as plant-based protein, seafood and lean meat, while limiting high-fat animal products like red meat, butter, lard and beef tallow.
Voices of support
Proponents of the 2025-2030 DGA find the report encouraging towards improving public health.
Sen. John Boozman (R-Ark.), chairman of the Senate committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, lauded the updates as “easy to understand” for federal nutrition programs and Americans.
“I appreciate the work of the Advisory Committee and the efforts of USDA and HHS to develop guidance to improve public health. Ensuring that nutrition recommendations remain balanced, practical and firmly rooted in evidence-based science is critical. Recognizing the role of nutrient-dense foods, including meat, dairy, fruits and vegetables, in a well-balanced diet will help us meet our nutritional needs while promoting overall health.”
The Meat Institute expressed its support for the DGA’s recommendations for higher protein intake from “nutrient dense meat and poultry,” said Julie Anna Potts, president and CEO, Meat Institute in a statement.
“Robust scientific evidence demonstrates that meat is a rich source of high-quality protein, essential vitamins, and highly bioavailable minerals that support human health throughout the lifespan,” Potts said.
Further, Potts emphasizes Meat Institute’s cooperation with policymakers and the Trump administration to “ensure consumers understand that both minimally processed and further processed meat and poultry products are an affordable, accessible, direct and balanced dietary source of protein, essential amino acids and more.”
Arvin Singh, a health policy and nutrition leader, praised the guidelines on LinkedIn as a “significant and overdue shift.” Singh highlighted the historic reset of federal nutrition policy, noting that the guidance confronts long-standing conflicts that have distorted nutrition science and public health outcomes.
“This is encouraging,” Singh wrote, “to see federal policy beginning to confront root causes and move in a more evidence-driven direction.”
What will the updated DGA mean for brands?
As the DGA shapes federal nutrition and education programs, its recommendations could impact formulation and marketing strategies for products in those programs, says Jessica O’Connell, partner at law firm, Covington and Burling.
While O’Connell notes that the 2025-2030 recommendations on limiting saturated fat, added sugar and sodium intake are in line with previous guidelines, some changes like increased protein consumption should be monitored closely by food companies.
“Some food companies also may be considering how to convey the health benefits of products not specifically recommended in this round of the Dietary Guidelines – for example, enriched grain products with folic acid, which have been responsible for a significant reduction in neural tube birth defects in the United States,” she added.
