Kennedy's revamped dietary guidelines call for less processed food

Americans should eat less packaged and highly processed foods and more protein and full-fat dairy, according to updated nutrition guidelines the Trump administration released Wednesday.

Why it matters: The new guidelines, closely watched by the food and beverage industries, are the strongest leverage Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has over what Americans eat, as they

• They blend elements of Kennedy's MAHA agenda with well-established nutritional guidance and maintain existing recommendations on saturated fat intake.
• There also is no specific mention of cutting back on seed oil consumption, which Kennedy has repeatedly railed against.

Driving the news: The Health and Human Services and Agriculture departments jointly released the 10-page document, which emphasizes prioritizing protein at every meal, limiting added sugars and eating vegetables.

• It says balanced diets should include a variety of protein, including red meat, eggs, and plant-based items like beans and soy.
• The document urges Americans to consume less alcohol — without specifying limits — and says to restrict artificial flavorings, dyes and preservatives.
• "Alcohol is a social lubricant that brings people together," Medicare and Medicaid administrator Mehmet Oz said at a Wednesday press briefing.
• "In the best-case scenario, I don't think you should drink alcohol, but it does allow people an excuse to bond and socialize," he said.

The administration also released a new food pyramid, with vegetables, proteins and healthy fats at the top. Whole grains are on the bottom.

• Kennedy has repeatedly slammed the previous guidelines, which were updated in 2020 during President Trump's first term.

What they're saying: The new guidelines are "a dream come true," Vani Hari, a top MAHA influencer who blogs as the "Food Babe," told Axios.

• "We put our full support in for Secretary Kennedy because he told the truth for the first time about the American food system ... and he is following through with his promise," she said.
• The American Academy of Pediatrics, which has fought Kennedy on vaccine policy and other public health issues, said the new guidelines are "an opportunity to clearly explain to parents what a healthy diet for their children should look like."

Food and beverage interests offered mixed assessments of the recommendations.

• The Consumer Brands Association, whose members include food giants like Coca-Cola and Kraft Heinz, said it looks forward to working with the administration and Congress while noting that consumers still "seek a diverse selection of foods."
• But the American Beverage Association criticized recommendations to limit both added sugar and other sweeteners.
• "Americans deserve pragmatic advice they can use in daily life. Guidance that discourages sugar but dismisses safe, effective no sugar options is impractical and inherently contradictory," spokesperson William Dermody said in a statement.

Between the lines: The new guidelines mark the first time the government has formally recommended cutting down on ultra-processed foods.

• They continue to recommend that saturated fats should not exceed 10% of total daily calories, consistent with the previous standards.
• Still, Kennedy said during a the briefing that the administration is "ending the war on saturated fats."
• FDA Commissioner Marty Makary added that the guidelines "are telling young people, kids, schools [that] you don't need to tiptoe around fat and dairy."

A long-standing body of scientific evidence shows that reducing saturated fat intake causes a reduction in cardiovascular issues. And many nutritionists have called concerns over seed oils, which are mostly unsaturated fats, overblown.

• The guidelines urge prioritizing oils with essential fatty acids like olive oil, as well as butter and beef tallow.
• "More high-quality research is needed to determine which types of dietary fats best support long-term health," the document states.

Context: The dietary guidelines are updated every five years. They impact federal nutrition policy, including what goes into free school lunches and what soldiers eat.

• A panel of nutrition experts issued a report in late 2024 with science-based recommendations on guideline updates for HHS and USDA to consider.
• The 2024 report recommended that Americans eat less saturated fat and meat. Reducing saturated fat has been one of nutrition experts' most consistent recommendations since the first guidelines were issued in 1980, it said.
• It stopped short of recommending eating fewer ultra-processed foods.

Go deeper: America's food reckoning

This story has been updated with additional reporting.