Page 32 - BusinessWest March 2, 2026

‘Eat Real Food’
New Federal Dietary Guidelines Find Support in Medical Community
When U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy
Jr. and U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins released the fed-
eral government’s “Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030”
earlier this year, they hailed the document as the most significant reset of fed-
eral nutrition policy in decades, boiling down the report with three words: “eat
real food.”
The shift is important, they say, as nearly 90% of healthcare spending goes
toward treating chronic disease, much of it linked to diet and lifestyle.
More than 70% of American adults are overweight or obese, and nearly
one in three adolescents has prediabetes.
“These guidelines return us to the basics,” Kennedy said. “American
households must prioritize whole, nutrient-dense foods — protein, dairy,
vegetables, fruits, healthy fats, and whole grains — and dramatically reduce
highly processed foods.”
Added Rollins, “at long last, we are realigning our food system to sup-
port American farmers, ranchers, and companies that grow and produce
real food. Farmers and ranchers are at the forefront of the solution, and
that means more protein, dairy, vegetables, fruits, healthy fats, and whole
grains on American dinner tables.”
The new Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA), available at realfood.
gov, emphasize the following recommendations:
• Prioritize protein at every meal;
• Consume full-fat dairy with no added sugars;
• Eat vegetables and fruits throughout the day, focusing on whole forms;
• Incorporate healthy fats from whole foods such as meats, seafood, eggs,
nuts, seeds, olives, and avocados;
• Focus on whole grains, while sharply reducing refined carbohydrates;
• Limit highly processed foods, added sugars, and artificial additives;
• Eat the right amount of food based on age, sex, size, and activity level;
• Choose water and unsweetened beverages to support hydration; and
• Limit alcohol consumption for better overall health.
The guidelines also provide tailored recommendations for infants and
children, adolescents, pregnant and lactating women, older adults, individu-
als with chronic disease, and vegetarians and vegans, ensuring nutritional
adequacy across every stage of life.
Measured Praise
Major medical groups largely hailed the report, albeit with some pushback
on the new protein emphasis.
“The American Medical Assoc. (AMA) applauds the administration’s new
dietary guidelines for spotlighting the highly processed foods, sugar-sweet-
ened beverages, and excess sodium that fuel heart disease, diabetes, obesity,
and other chronic illnesses. The guidelines affirm that food is medicine and
offer clear direction patients and physicians can use to improve health,” said
Dr. Bobby Mukkamala, AMA president.
“Today, the AMA is making significant commitments to improve clinical
competency, deliver educational resources for physicians, and work with Con-
gress to enact meaningful, lasting nutrition change that can improve lives.
The AMA is focused on helping physicians translate this science into every-
day care and helping patients improve their overall health.”
The AMA also announced plans to launch a curated collection of nutrition
education resources and continuing medical education; convene a series of
roundtables with physicians, nutrition experts, and public health leaders to
strengthen nutrition education and clinical competency; and work with Con-
gress to incentivize nutrient-dense foods, expand food labeling efforts, define
ultra-processed foods, and increase investment in nutrition research.
The American Heart Assoc. (AHA) also welcomed the report, particularly
noting the emphasis on increasing intake of vegetables, fruits, and whole
grains while limiting consumption of added sugars, refined grains, highly pro-
cessed foods, saturated fats, and sugary drinks, all of which align closely with
its own long-standing dietary guidance.
At the same time, “we see an important opportunity to educate consumers
about the scientific basis for certain recommendations,” the AHA noted. “For
example, we are concerned that recommendations regarding salt seasoning
and red meat consumption could inadvertently lead consumers to exceed rec-
ommended limits for sodium and saturated fats, which are primary drivers
of cardiovascular disease. While the guidelines highlight whole-fat dairy, the
Heart Association encourages consumption of low-fat and fat-free dairy prod-
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MARCH 2, 2026
ucts, which can be beneficial to heart health.
“Protein is an essential component of a healthy diet, and we urge more sci-
entific research on both the appropriate amount of protein consumption and
the best protein sources for optimal health,” the AHA went on. “Pending that
research, we encourage consumers to prioritize plant-based proteins, sea-
food, and lean meats and to limit high-fat animal products including red meat,
butter, lard, and tallow, which are linked to increased cardiovascular risk.”
DR. BOBBY MUKKAMALA
“Today, the AMA is making significant
commitments to improve clinical competency,
deliver educational resources for physicians,
and work with Congress to enact meaningful,
lasting nutrition change that can improve lives.
The AMA is focused on helping physicians
translate this science into everyday care and
helping patients improve their overall health.”
More Protein Concerns
The Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health released an interview
with three of its faculty members who served on the report’s advisory commit-
tee: Teresa Fung, adjunct professor of Nutrition; Edward Giovannucci, profes-
sor of Nutrition and Epidemiology; and Deirdre Tobias, assistant professor of
Nutrition.
“With some key exceptions, I was appreciative that the quantitative recom-
mendations outlined in the new DGA are actually quite consistent with previ-
ous DGAs, carrying forward the recommended servings for the foundational
food groups of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy, and oils,” Tobias noted.
“Long-standing limits for saturated fat (less than 10% of calories) and sodium
were kept the same. The new DGAs also continue to emphasize whole foods.
“In general, protein intake among Americans is adequate. Maybe
some older adults have marginal intake, but the tone of the new
DGA sounded like we have widespread inadequate protein intake.”
“However, the biggest deviation from the science is a new prioritization of
animal sources within the protein food group, instead of a plant-forward pat-
tern,” she added, echoing the AHA’s concern. “Other critical deviations from
science include the recommendation for full-fat dairy. Although vegetable oils
were not forbidden, they were notably absent from being listed among healthy
oils, despite being primary sources of essential unsaturated fatty acids.”
Fung agreed that the emphasis on animal protein, especially red meats,
stood out. “In general, protein intake among Americans is adequate. Maybe
some older adults have marginal intake, but the tone of the new DGA sound-
ed like we have widespread inadequate protein intake.”
Still, Giovannucci added, “there are some positive aspects of the guide-
lines, such as the call to ‘avoid highly processed packaged, prepared, ready-
to-eat, or other foods that are salty or sweet’ and avoid sugar-sweetened
beverages. The guidelines are hard on added sugar, especially for children.
Prioritizing fiber-rich whole grains and reducing refined grains is appropriate.
These are good starting points.”
Fung noted that clinicians, nutritionists, and others use the federal guide-
lines to teach healthy eating, and a a number of federal nutrition programs
also follow its standards, including the National School Lunch Program and
Women, Infants, and Children. Changes in the new DGA may affect the food
and nutrient requirements of these programs. BW
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