Trump administration issues dietary guidelines urging whole foods, less sugar

What changes

The new guidelines take a direct stance against highly processed foods, urging consumers to avoid “packaged, prepared, ready-to-eat or other foods that are salty or sweet, such as chips, cookies and candy.” That category corresponds to what nutrition researchers call ultraprocessed foods, which make up more than half the calories in the U.S. diet and have been linked to chronic diseases such as diabetes and obesity, according to the AP.

The guidelines advise that “no amount” of added sugars is considered part of a healthy diet, and that no single meal should contain more than 10 grams of added sugars — about 2 teaspoons. Most Americans consume about 17 teaspoons of added sugars per day, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

On protein, the guidelines recommend 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight — roughly double the previous recommendation of 0.8 grams per kilogram, which Food and Drug Commissioner Marty Makary said was based on the “bare minimum” required for health.

The document rolls back previous alcohol recommendations. Rather than advising women to limit consumption to one drink or fewer per day and men to two drinks or fewer, the new guidance tells Americans to “consume less alcohol for better health.”

Despite earlier signals from Kennedy and Makary that the administration would push for greater consumption of animal fats, the guidelines maintained the longstanding limit on saturated fat at no more than 10% of daily calories. The document says “other options can include butter or beef tallow” as whole-food saturated fat sources while retaining that ceiling.

Expert reaction

Some prominent nutrition and medical experts praised portions of the guidance.

“There should be broad agreement that eating more whole foods and reducing highly processed carbohydrates is a major advance in how we approach diet and health,” said Dr. David Kessler, a former FDA commissioner who has written about diet and nutrition.

“The guidelines affirm that food is medicine and offer clear direction patients and physicians can use to improve health,” said Dr. Bobby Mukkamala, president of the American Medical Association.

Other experts were relieved the saturated fat recommendation held but criticized the guidelines’ emphasis on meat and dairy as a primary protein source rather than plant-based alternatives.

“Overall, if people eat the way these are recommended, they will be eating more calories, not less,” said Marion Nestle, a nutritionist and food policy expert who advised previous editions of the guidance.

Dr. David Ludwig, an endocrinologist and researcher at Boston Children’s Hospital, said the category of concern mattered. “I think the focus should be on highly processed carbohydrates,” Ludwig said, noting that processing of protein or fats can be benign or helpful. “A moderate increase in protein to help displace the processed carbohydrates makes sense,” he said.

The American Heart Association called for more research on protein consumption and urged consumers to prioritize plant-based proteins, seafood and lean meats and to limit high-fat animal products “including red meat, butter, lard and tallow, which are linked to increased cardiovascular risk.”

Process and school meals

The new guidelines largely rejected advice from a 20-member panel of nutrition experts convened by the Biden administration, who met for nearly two years to review scientific evidence on diet and health. Kennedy had criticized the expertise of the panel members and suggested they had industry ties that influenced their advice.

The administration instead relied on a new group of experts revealed Wednesday in supporting documents. Of the 10 experts who led the new scientific review, five reported financial ties to beef, pork or dairy industries or to makers of infant formula or supplements, according to the AP. The new group rejected more than half the recommendations of the previous panel.

The guidelines will have their most direct impact on the National School Lunch Program, which is required to follow them and feeds nearly 30 million children on a typical school day. The Agriculture Department will have to translate the recommendations into specific school meal requirements — a process that can take years, said Diane Pratt-Heavner, spokesperson for the School Nutrition Association. The most recent school nutrition standards were proposed in 2023 but will not be fully implemented until 2027, she noted.