New Dietary Guidelines Urge Americans to Avoid Processed Foods and Added Sugar

Announced by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, the new advice promotes vegetables, fruits, dairy, protein and healthy fats, and introduces a new inverted food-pyramid-style graphic. A notable shift is the explicit advice to avoid ‘highly processed’ salty or sweet packaged foods – effectively targeting the ultra-processed products that dominate the American diet and are linked to chronic diseases.

On fats and protein, the guidelines stop short of overturning decades of advice on saturated fat, maintaining the limit of no more than 10 percent of daily calories but encouraging whole-food sources such as meat and full-fat dairy, and even allowing butter or beef tallow as options. They also substantially raise recommended protein intake to 1.2–1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight, arguing earlier guidance reflected only the minimum needed to avoid deficiency. Added sugars receive a tougher stance, with the guidelines stating that no amount is healthy and recommending no more than 10 grams per meal.

The guidelines have drawn mixed reactions. Some commentators praised the emphasis on whole foods, reduced processed carbohydrates, and the idea that “food is medicine.” Others welcomed the decision not to relax saturated fat limits but criticized the focus on meat and dairy over plant-based proteins, warning it could increase calorie intake. While the recommendations will strongly influence federal programs such as school lunches, translating them into enforceable standards is expected to take years.

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