• On January 7, 2026, the U.S. Departments of Health & Human Services and Agriculture released the 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, concluding a process that began roughly three years earlier with the first public meeting of the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. In December 2024, HHS and USDA announced the availability of the Scientific Report of the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee in the Federal Register and solicited public comments.
  • The Administration eventually put aside the Scientific Report of the Advisory Committee and published a streamlined, 10-page “real food” guide accompanied by appendices. The report introduces an “inverted pyramid” that prioritizes protein, full-fat dairy, vegetables, fruits, and healthy fats, while whole grains sit at the bottom.
  • A document titled Scientific Foundation for the Dietary Guidelines for Americans was also made available.  It was developed by nutrition scientists and subject matter experts selected through a federal contracting process. 
  • Key Recommendations include:
    • Protein Intake: Recommendations increased from 0.8 g/kg to 1.2–1.6 g/kg of body weight daily, a 50–100% rise, emphasizing protein as central to every meal.
    • Saturated Fat: The limit remains below 10% of daily calories, but the guidelines highlight foods naturally rich in saturated fat, such as red meat and whole milk.
    • Processed Foods: The report features strong advice to avoid highly processed foods defined in the Scientific Foundation document (page 21) as “any food or beverage or engineered food-like item that is made primarily form substances extracted from food (eg refined sugars, grains, starches, or oils) and/or containing industrially manufacturered chemical additives.”
    • Sugars and Non-Nutritive Sweeteners: For the first time, the guidelines group added sugars and non-nutritive sweeteners under a single recommendation that “no amount of added sugars or non-nutritive sweeteners is recommended or considered part of a healthy or nutritious diet,” whereas the 2020-2025 guidelines raised questions about long-term effectiveness for weight management and did not recommend for children under two, but did not classify non-nutritive sweeteners as nutritionally undesirable.
    • Whole Grains: While still included, whole grains are positioned lower in the new “inverted pyramid,” signaling a shift toward prioritizing protein and healthy fats over carbohydrate sources.
    • Dairy: Emphasis on full-fat dairy as part of a balanced diet, a notable departure from prior guidance favoring low-fat or fat-free options.
  • How this overhaul will align with FDA’s “healthy” label rule and proposed front-of-package (FOP) labeling updates remains unclear. The abrupt shift could disrupt timelines and complicate alignment efforts.
  • Keller and Heckman will continue monitoring developments related to the Dietary Guidelines and other FDA health initiatives.