Leave the meat, keep the legumes: Experts release 2025 dietary recommendations
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Americans should strive to eat less meat and saturated fats, while upping their intake of fiber-rich legumes, fruits and vegetables, according to new recommendations issued Tuesday by a panel of nutrition experts.
Why it matters: The fresh recommendations build on existing evidence that foods like red meat, and the overconsumption of salty and sugary foods, can be linked to health risks.
- More than half of American adults struggle with chronic health conditions — like type 2 diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease — for which unhealthy diets are a risk factor, according to the introduction to the new Scientific Report from the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC).
The big picture: The DGAC's recommendations will help inform the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) as they craft the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, per a USDA press release.
- These guidelines are set to be published in late 2025.
- "The Dietary Guidelines serve as the foundation for national nutrition programs, standards, and education ... they help HHS, USDA, and others in the federal government to tailor our policies to best serve the American people," HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said in the press release.
Saturated fats
Reducing consumption of saturated fats has been one of the DGAC's "most consistent recommendations" since its first guidelines were issued in 1980, per the report.
- However, the new report did not take a stance on consuming ultra-processed foods, which studies have shown can be linked to adverse health effects, prompting an outcry from some health experts, the Washington Post reported.
Zoom in: For instance, the report acknowledged that replacing butter with healthier vegetable oils "may be associated with a decreased risk of cardiovascular disease morbidity and mortality" but deemed evidence supporting this "limited."
Protein
Given that red meat is high in saturated fat, the report outlined recommended substitutions.
- The report highlighted the benefits of replacing red meat with "plant sources of protein" — including beans, peas, lentils, nuts and seeds — as well as whole grains and vegetables. These plant-based options are also higher in fiber.
- "No benefit for cardiovascular disease risk was identified when red meat was substituted or replaced with other food sources of saturated fat, including white meat or eggs," the report stated.
Beverages
The DGAC recommended that plain drinking water be Americans' "primary beverage."
- Secondarily, it approved of "unsweetened fat-free and low-fat dairy milk and unsweetened fortified soy beverages."
- However, the report recommended Americans limit their intake of sugar-sweetened beverages.
What's next: A 60-day public comment period on the report will commence Thursday.
- The public will also be able to provide oral comments on the report's recommendations at a hearing on Jan. 16, 2025.
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