The U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, RFK, Jr., revealed new nutrition recommendations this past week. Of course, there are far more important things going on in our country right now, and this may have been an intentional distraction by the government. Nevertheless, with my nutrition background I was intrigued.
Overall, and I kind of hate to say this, I agree with most of the New Pyramid.
Let’s get this out of the way
To be very transparent, I think RFK, Jr. is causing real harm in this country. He has no credentials to be making the claims and recommendations he has been making. He is discouraging pregnant women from taking Tylenol, which could endanger them and their fetuses. He is sowing distrust in vaccinations, which are known to save lives. I have no doubt that people will die because of his reckless recommendations and false claims, and I therefore want to vehemently oppose everything he says on principle.
This is the one time when I have generally agreed with him and his Secretary of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins, who played a part in this as well.
Let’s be clear, though: he did not invent any of these new recommendations. Eating “whole, real foods” isn’t some revolutionary idea. It’s been around forever and is still touted by dietitians and nutritionists alike.
Despite RFK Jr. and other Republicans claiming they turned the Food Pyramid on its head, the recommendations aren’t that different from the MyPlate guide they replaced. They failed to mention that we haven’t had a Food Pyramid as a guide since 2011 when the recommendations changed to favor an easier visual for Americans to follow.
Do people even follow the food guidelines?
I highly doubt anyone was strictly adhering to the 1992 Food Pyramid that stated we should have 6-11 servings of breads, grains, pasta, and cereals per day. That particular recommendation feels like it was excessive.
We know now that the grain industry had influence on our earliest pyramid. Food lobbies can be quite persuasive when they stand to benefit financially. The meat and dairy industry lost that initial battle for a prime spot in the recommendations, and it’s possible that they had an influence in the new changes which place those items as a new priority. I’d love to know what actually went on behind the scenes monetarily when the health of Americans was ostensibly the goal.
In 2005 that rec was changed to grains being 27% of our intake, but it’s hard to quantify the differences with amounts measured in percentages vs. servings. The vertical slices of that 2005 MyPyramid seemed to be more balanced than the horizontal levels of 1992’s, which had suggested that grains should be the foundation of our diet. In 2011, MyPlate indicated that grains should be slightly over 1/4 of our plate, which was consistent with 2005’s 27% (graphics and timeline below).
MyPlate recommended half our plate be fruits and veggies, and the other half grains and protein (with grains at slightly more than half, and protein slightly less). Dairy was in a circle on the side. This felt balanced and easy to understand.
Even if everyday Americans don’t adhere to the government’s nutrition recommendations, the guidelines influence policy, funding, and food access for many people, so they do matter.
Timeline of Nutrition Guidelines Since 1992
1992: Food Pyramid is introduced
2005: MyPyramid
2011: MyPlate
2026: The New Pyramid
The New Pyramid Daily Recommendations Breakdown
- .54-.73 grams of protein per pound of body weight
- 3 servings of vegetables
- 2 servings of fruit
- 2-4 servings of whole grains (emphasis on fiber-rich and unrefined)
- 3 servings of full-fat dairy
- 4ish servings of fats
- Fats should be in whole/unrefined forms, not to exceed 10% of daily calories (they list meat, seafood, dairy, nuts, olives, and avocados)
- Avoid added sugars entirely
- Water is recommended over other beverages, though no amount was specified
- “Completely avoid added sugar for children aged four and under.”
These recommendations seem to be based on an average 2000 calorie diet, though that wasn’t specified in the announcements I read. I found it in a chart posted here, which included adjustments for servings according to overall calorie goals. I will say, this is a valuable consideration because not everyone eats a 2000 calorie diet. Their range is from 1,000 (hopefully meant for a child) to 3,200 calories. The term calories as we know it actually refers to kilocalories (kcal), just for scientific clarification.
For more details on the New Pyramid, check out this fact sheet from the Trump Administration.
See also:
Fancy presentation on the new guidelines and Daily Servings by Calorie Level
What I like about the New Pyramid:
It embraces healthy fats & prioritizes proteins.
Without getting too in the weeds in this article (I can do that at another time if people want it), the truth is that fat has been unfairly demonized over the last 70 years. Two particular studies (The Seven Countries Study & The Framingham Heart Study) have seemed to be the backbone of the low-fat movement and the basis of our first low-fat dietary guidelines. These studies have been widely criticized for cherry-picking data and massaging findings to blame fat for our health problems. It’s reductionist; the issue is much more complicated than that. In short, dietary cholesterol does not influence blood cholesterol to the level people think it does, and not all fats are created equal.
Fat helps us absorb nutrients (like vitamins A, D, E, & K) and keeps us satiated between meals, reducing the need to mindlessly snack. I have tried a low-fat diet; I was hungry all the time. I have tried low-carb; I was extremely tired. There is a reason why a balance of macronutrients work for most people. There will always be outliers for whom low-carb is helpful, or who need to avoid fats for medical reasons. But generally, I do not believe that “fat makes you fat,” and I like that they are recommending full-fat dairy now, as it’s how my family already eats.
The New Pyramid recommends increasing fat intake to around 4 servings per day. That would be around 200 out of a 2,000-calorie day, which seems quite reasonable. I am fairly certain I consume more than that, as 1 tablespoon of olive oil is around 120 calories and half of an avocado is 160 calories. I couldn’t find specifics on this, but my hunch is that the fat servings recs are separate from any fat consumed via protein sources. Otherwise, there is no way you could keep your saturated fat to the recommended 10% of intake. Olive oil is mostly monounsaturated fat, while butter is primarily saturated. Keeping track of fat categories will inevitably cause confusion for people trying to adjust to the new guidelines.
What is questionable about the New Pyramid:
Protein
For some strange reason, the government has declared that there has been a “war on protein.” I have never heard of this, nor have I ever seen anyone demonizing protein. Of course, some folks don’t eat animal products, but those people still value protein and strive to obtain it through other foods. Perhaps they framed it this way so they could declare the war “over,” as they are now recommending to prioritize protein intake?
Maybe Trump is counting this as one of the 8 wars he solved?
The new guidelines suggest .54-.73 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day, which for a 140-pound person would be 75.6-102.2 grams. It sounds a tad high for my personal everyday needs, but not totally unreasonable.
Sugar
Another sticking point for them is to avoid added sugars entirely. They deem them as “not part of eating real foods.” It feels strange to me that they’re not leaving room for moderation or nuance when making recommendations for actual Americans who live in a culture where added sugars are ubiquitous. They’re absolutely everywhere.
They’re asking Americans to opt out when that leaves very little on the shelves to choose from. It’s not just candy we would need to avoid; it would also be pickles, many pasta sauces, coffees, salad dressings, and most homemade baked goods, to name a few. Without overhauling all of our food production and subsidizing changes to make no-sugar-added foods readily available for regular Americans, this recommendation feels utopian and unrealistic. And where does Grandma’s Apple Pie fit in, Uncle Donald?
Trust me, I get it. I used to run a sugar detox program. Too much sugar is not great for us, but if you’re trying to get Americans to be healthier, you can’t have guidelines so rigid and unattainable that people will throw their hands up and disregard them altogether.
To add to this, they’re saying to avoid giving sugar to your children before four years old. Have you met children?
Carbs
While I appreciate them not going full keto in their recommendations, 2-4 servings of grains a day is low. Many dietitians weighing in on this issue have stated that 120g of carbohydrates per day is a minimum recommendation to meet energy requirements. Two slices of white bread would only give you 30 grams, and 2 servings of white rice would provide only 44. If you consumed those with breakfast and lunch, respectively, you’d technically be breaking guidelines to have grains with dinner, despite only being at 74 grams of carbs. I realize that beans & potatoes (~25 g/serving), fruit (~25g/serving), and non-starchy vegetables (~5 g/serving) also have carbs in them, which within the serving guidelines would bring the numbers to over 120g per day. But that’s the minimum; would energy needs truly be met? What if produce is not readily available? I’m seeing holes in this plan.
What I will be waiting to see play out:
In the official description of the New Pyramid, they mention multiple times that Biden’s administration was too focused on “health equity” and not enough on “the health of all Americans.” In short, they are mad that public health policy was factored into previous dietary recommendations. You know, the factors that impact whether implementing nutrition guidelines is even possible for most Americans, and whether the systems we have in place are setting certain groups up for poor health outcomes.
It seems that since the dietary recommendations could impact what is accessible on government funded programs like WIC and SNAP, we could be seeing changes in what people are allowed to purchase through their benefit. They didn’t outright say this, but they alluded to the concept that processed foods, soda, and sweets shouldn’t be allowed to be purchased with these funds. Since many folks who benefit from government assistance live in areas with limited food options, this could make feeding their families even more difficult. Their funds also may not stretch as far if certain packaged foods no longer qualify. “Whole foods” like fresh produce and meat cost more!
If the end-goal of this was to strip those less fortunate from access to enough affordable food, that’s extremely messed up. The whole entire system needs to change in tandem with these guidelines if you actually care about ALL Americans, which would include solving the problem of food deserts and bringing down the cost of groceries for everyone. If that feels too lofty in a short timeline, then increase SNAP benefit amounts and expand who qualifies, because you’re about to cause MORE problems if you’re leaving behind hungry children in the wake of your “healthy eating” mission.
Instead of considering those options I just suggested, we know all too well that this administration has made moves to do the opposite- making food accessibility and affordability even harder for the lowest earners.
What should we do with this information?
We need to look at this advice as basic guidance and then pivot to what we know already works for us.
We also need to look out for policy changes influenced by this New Pyramid, as they may negatively impact low-income families. We need to advocate for all of us.
We don’t yet know the short- and long-term impact of this change. I know the wellness influencers of MAHA are cheering, but I’m listening to the dietitians, the scientists, and the policy-makers for potential red-flags here. Our ears are perked up, and we will not stop paying attention.
Please let me know in the comments what your thoughts on the New Pyramid are. As long as discussions are respectful, I will leave them up and open.
xo, Amy