Originally published on Guiding Stars Health & Nutrition News
The updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs) was recently released—a highly anticipated event for many. Dietitians like me, of course, along with people who work in school nutrition, public health and the food retailing world. Why is this a big deal? Because the DGAs help shape major US food and nutrition programs and policies and therefore have a big influence on nutrition in our country. For example, they inform funding priorities for nutrition and health research topics, and help determine food labeling regulations. They also affect decisions about which foods are offered to our school children and military members, and much more. In other words, you may not read the guidelines or choose to follow them personally, but there’s a good chance that they impact you.
The DGA are required by law to reflect up-to-date science and be revised every 5 years. The graphic that accompanies them is also sometimes revised. Since the nature of science is that it’s always changing, it’s expected that the guidelines will change over time. And it’s not unusual for the DGAs to be controversial. For example, experts (including many dietitians) are questioning some of the new recommendations, since they contradict current accepted science and nutritional principles. In fact, the new DGAs deviate dramatically from the 2025 Report of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, whose charge is to review the science and make recommendations for the new edition of DGAs.
I’ve written about various editions of the Dietary Guidelines previously. Just like those earlier posts, it’s impossible to do a deep dive into the DGAs in one blog post. However, here are some key takeaways.
New Recommendation: Avoid “Highly Processed Foods”
This is the first time the DGAs use this phrase in an overt recommendation. Given the lack of agreement on how to define “highly processed foods,” this one might be a little tricky for consumers to put into practice. Eating fewer highly processed food items is not a new concept in nutrition—nor is it new to the DGAs. In fact, the guidelines always encourage reliance on whole foods as the basis of a healthy diet. So the current DGAs’ frequent use of the phrase “real food” is really just marketing-speak, not a shift.
Past versions of the guidelines emphasized eating more whole foods and avoiding specific ingredients associated with highly processed foods, including added sugars, refined carbohydrates, and sodium. In essence, it’s the same recommendation—just stated differently. The new DGAs also suggest limiting consumption of artificial flavors, certain food dyes, artificial preservatives, and low- or no-calorie sweeteners. Guiding Stars addresses food ingredients contained in highly processed foods, such as artificial colors and non-nutritive sweeteners, in our “Additives to Limit” debit.
New Recommendation: Eat More Protein
The guidelines now call for a protein intake of 1.2-1.6 grams per kilogram body weight, which is roughly twice the level previously recommended. While protein is important, there’s no evidence that there is a “war on protein” in this country. (In fact, I’d venture to say it’s quite the opposite judging by new product introductions and social media coverage.) There are some population groups, such as teenage females and older adults, that could certainly benefit from getting more protein. It is an important macronutrient, but protein deficiency in the U.S. is extremely rare.
What’s more, the previous edition of the DGAs (and the MyPlate graphic) had a general plant-forward approach. This version, however, is decidedly pro-animal protein. The messaging in the guidelines acknowledges the role that plant-based proteins can play in nourishment, but it doesn’t exactly match with the primary positioning of animal foods in the accompanying upside-down pyramid graphic. People can meet protein needs with plant foods as well as animal foods, and we know that plant foods are more environmentally sustainable (and they stretch your grocery dollars too!). Relying on larger amounts of fatty animal proteins can also make it difficult to adhere to the recommended saturated fat limit, which remains the same as before—less than 10% of daily calories.
New Recommendation: Consume Full-Fat Dairy
Dairy products are nutrient-dense and the new guidelines recommend three servings per day, just like the previous version. What’s different is the large emphasis on consuming full-fat dairy products. There is some scientific data showing limited differences between low-/no-fat dairy and full-fat dairy on cardiovascular disease risk. But the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee didn’t find it impactful enough to warrant any changes to the usual recommendation for low-/no-fat dairy.
The administration chose to ignore their decision, however. Whole milk and full-fat dairy now have extra call-outs in both the graphic and the guidelines themselves. The DGAs are encouraging full-fat dairy for everyone at every age. They are also suggesting that people watch their calorie intake and keep saturated fat to less than 10% of total calories, which places responsibility on the individual consumer.
What Else Is New?
Some of the other new additions to the DGAs are laudable, including:
- Suggestion to consume fermented foods, which promotes gut health.
- Suggestion to limit added sugar, and avoid completely for kids up to age 10. In the previous edition, this was up to age 2. The guidelines provide some specific targets: less than 10 grams of added sugar per meal, less than 5 grams per grain-based snack, and 2.5 grams per dairy-based snack. This results in essentially the same overall gram recommendation for added sugars as the previous DGAs (less than 50 grams daily for ages 10 and up).
Established nutrition science isn’t as supportive of other new suggestions in the guidelines, including:
- Suggestion to cook with butter and beef tallow, which contain high amounts of saturated fat, conflicting with strong evidence that unsaturated fats are healthier for the heart and arteries.
- Loosening of the alcohol intake guideline. Alcohol is a toxin and has many adverse health effects. Previous guidelines recommended a maximum number of drinks per day (no more than two for men and one for women). The new version just says “consume less alcohol,” leaving it up to the consumer to define “less.”
What Is the Same?
Many of the food consumption recommendations are the same as they were in the last version, including things like:
- A focus on nutrient density
- Being aware of portion sizes and eating an appropriate amount of food for your needs
- Limiting refined carbohydrates and emphasizing whole grains
- The general amount of dairy, fruits, and vegetables, although these are now in “servings” instead of cup measures
- The suggested upper-level intakes on sodium and saturated fat
Now that the DGAs have been released, the Guiding Stars Scientific Advisory Panel has initiated their standard process of review and will advise on updates to the algorithms if needed.
Guiding Stars is an objective, evidence-based, nutrition guidance program that evaluates foods and beverages to make nutritious choices simple. Products that meet transparent nutrition criteria earn a 1, 2, or 3 star rating for good, better, and best nutrition. Guiding Stars can be found in more than 2,000 grocery stores and through the Guiding Stars Food Finder app.
Image from DietaryGuidelines.gov
