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Compared to earlier versionsof the food pyramid issued in the 1990s, , with the widest part on top and the narrowest at the bottom.
Source: Dietary Guidelines for Americans,
the top,starting on the left-hand side,dz’la ribeye steak,a largeroast turkey,a thick wedge of cheeseԻahalfagallon of whole milk.
Compare that to the original pyramid, therightside-up onethat was introduced in the 1990s. It featured asmallamountof sugars at the top; 2to4 servings of dairy, meat, fruits,Ի vegetablesin the middle and 8to11 servings of bread, rice,pastaԻ other grains at the bottom.An updatedversion,My Plate,was issuedin2011.
Thenew Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) have been given a thumbs-upbythe American Academy of Pediatrics andthe American Medical Association.Bothorganizations have praised the new guidelinesforwarning againsthighly processed foods: those thatcontainadded salt, sugar, artificial flavors, petroleum-baseddyesԻ artificial preservatives, as well as non-nutritive sweetenersinbeverages.The new ٳҴ’s “war on sugar”has also earned the seal of approval fromboth organizations.
The American Heart Association, though,hasoffered a mixed review,seeingsaturated fats—promoted vigorously by the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)—asprimary drivers ofcardiovasculardisease.
Red meat and full-fat dairy, all high in saturated fats, were considered no-nosin past versions of theDGA,but they occupy aprivileged positionat the top ofthe new food pyramid.
The2025guidelinesshare many common features withpast versions, but they also stake outnew territory. In other words, they embody both change and continuity.’stake a lookathowthe DGA haveevolvedover time.
Thefirst official dietaryguidelineswere released in 1980, andٳ’vbeen issued every five years since then.
Here are the main takeaways from the1980version:
The 1990and 2000DGA werelargely unchangedfrom the 1980 guidance.In fact, until now, Americans have been advisedin each successive versionto limit full-fat dairy productsԻ saturated fats from meatwhile consuming a more carb-heavy diet.
These priorities have changed.
The federal governmentissued a press release summarizingthenewٳҴ’smain recommendations as follows:
The languageused in the1980 and 2025 versions ofthe guidelines may differ, butٳ’sactually afair amount of overlapbetweenthe two.Both exhortthe public to choose awidevariety of foods.Fruits and vegetablesfiguredprominentlyon the list of healthy foodsin the past,Ի that’tchanged.
The new guidelines endorse almost double the amount of protein than previously recommended. “The protein recommendation is now at 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight.ճ’shigher than the long-standing recommendation of 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight,” says Shonali Soans, a registered dietitianin theDivision of General Internal Medicine atAVо, who specializes in integrativehealth andwell-being.
³’smore, the messaging on healthy fats, fatsources and saturated fats could be cause for confusion and misinterpretation. The pyramid visualprivilegesred meat,cheeseԻfull-fat dairy,while the guidelinesstill suggestthatno more than 10percentofdailycalories come from saturated fats.
Giving the nod to saturated fats while restricting their consumption has left many people, including experts, flummoxed.
The guidelines acknowledge that more high-quality research is needed todeterminewhich types of dietary fats best support long-term health.
Thenew food pyramidactually hastwo purposes.First,’saneducational toolthatpromptsthe public to eat more healthfully.Second,it sets standardsforfoodprocurement policy for schoolsԻ the military, along with 16 national foodassistanceprograms. These includeSNAP (food stamps), WIC (women,infantsand children) andvarious programs for older adults.
In theU.S.,74 percent of adults are either overweight or obese. Approximately36.4 million peoplehave type 2 diabetes, with many more showing signs of prediabetes.The main culprits aresedentary lifestyles andthe American diet, with its highly processed food,large portionsԻ what some believe to be addictive, problematicingredients.
The new government slogan is Eat Real Food.Information related to the new dietary guidelines appears onthe websiterealfood.gov.
But what constitutes “real” where food is concerned? Just because a food is realDZ’tmean’sgoodforeveryone.
For example,bananas are eminently real, plusٳ’ras delicious as they arepopular.ճ’ralso rich in potassium, an essential mineral that the body needsfor normal cell function.However, people withlate-stagekidney diseaseshould avoid them like the plague.
The American Heart Association advisespeoplewith medical conditions or concernstocheck with their primary care physician to seewhich foodsare safe for them.
Another real food, red meat,which istouted as healthyunderthe newguidelines, is harder to digest than poultry or fish, especially for older adults.
The term “realڴǴǻ”is a“usefulshorthand to describe minimally processed, nutrient-dense foods that are free from additives and artificialingredients,” says Shonali. “However,itcan be misused.Many packaged foodsuse ‘natural’ on their labels while still being high in sugarԻadditives.”
“Eat Real Food” is a great slogan, butas individuals withdifferent needs, wemay need to go deeper to figure out what “real” means forus.
Manyprofessional organizationshaveendorsedthe Mediterranean dietas key to the prevention of chronic diseasesԻ tooverallhealth and wellness.
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) recommends it forthe prevention oftype 2 diabetes andcardiovascular disease.
The American Heart Association (AHA)states thatthe Mediterranean diet is associated with a 29percentreduction in cardiovascular events over nearly five years in high-risk populations.
The dietdiscourages the consumption of red meat.Itemphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, with olive oil as the primary source of fat. Rich in minimally processed plant foods and monounsaturated and unsaturated fats from olives, nuts, and seeds, but low in saturated fats, the dietincludes moderate amounts of fish, poultry and fermented dairy productslike yogurt and kefir.
“TheMediterranean and DASHdietsboth emphasize whole foods, fruits,vegetablesԻwhole grains,and both recommendlimiting added sugars, highly processed foods and refined carbohydrates,so there is overlap in those areas,” Shonali says. “Thenewdietaryguidelines and the DASH diet bothrecommenda <2300mgdaily cap onsodium.
“However,” she continues,DASH emphasizeslow-fat dairy and lower saturated fats compared to thenew DGA. Mediterranean emphasizes unsaturated fats (olive oil, nutsԻfish) and lower red meat consumption.“
The DASH dietisdesigned to lower blood pressure—a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, kidney disease and even dementia.
But the 2025 DGAwants to end the “war” on saturated fat—a goal that’t been embracedwholeheartedlybythe scientificcommunity.
Seek nutrition counseling withIntegrative Health and Wellbeingat AVо.
