The New Dietary Guidelines Say to Eat Real Food — But Is It Really That Simple?

If you grew up in the '90s or early '00s, chances are you remember a food pyramid that looks very different from the one released by the Trump Administration on Jan. 7. That one, which called for six to 11 daily servings from the “bread, cereal, rice and pasta” group, was released in 1992 — though the guidance to eat more carbohydrates than fats and proteins dates back to the mid-20th century.

The triangle published earlier this month is an inverted one, both in shape and in nutritional recommendations. These days, whole grains are at the bottom, while protein, dairy and healthy fats are at the top, sharing equal real estate with fruits and vegetables.

The tagline that summarizes the new guidance is simple, and it sounds good: “Eat real food.” But according to experts, some troubling takeaways are hidden in the shiny new pyramid.

What do the new dietary guidelines say?

When you scroll through the new guidelines at realfood.gov, it walks you through the updated pyramid. “We are ending the war on protein,” says the first close-up directive, alongside images of steak, salmon and unsweetened yogurt. The guidelines call for “high-quality, nutrient dense protein from both animal and plant sources” at “every meal,” along with healthy fats from foods including eggs, full-fat dairy, nuts and avocado.

Next, the guidance moves to fruits and vegetables, calling for two and three servings of each per day respectively, and emphasizing consuming them “in their original form.” Finally, the bottom tip of the pyramid is reserved for whole grains — not “highly processed, refined carbohydrates that displace real nourishment.” (In other words, many of the cereals and breads that used to occupy the largest part of the 1992 pyramid.)

Given what we know about the negative health impacts of ultra-processed foods — many of which are composed of refined carbohydrates — the guidance looks good on its face. And parts of it are, indeed, positive, according to experts like nutrition epidemiologist Lindsey Smith Taillie, professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Gillings School of Global Public Health and co-director of the Global Food Research Program.

“The overall focus on eating real food is great,” she said on PBS NewsHour, calling it “landmark progress in the U.S.”

However, she called the increased recommendations for meat and dairy “quite concerning,” along with a hidden rollback of the old alcohol guidelines. (Where the old guidelines offered specific per-day drink limits according to sex, the new guidelines simply advise Americans to “limit alcohol consumption for better overall health.” Meanwhile, the Surgeon General released an advisory in 2025 indicating that alcohol consumption, even in moderation, increases the risk of cancer.)

The new guidelines also highlight red meat as an appropriate protein and fat source, with a slab of ribeye pictured in the immediate upper left-hand corner of the pyramid — the first place your eyes would land if you were reading a line of text.

Along with its well-established association with increased risks of cancer and heart disease, red meat is also, as Taillie points out, one of the least environmentally friendly food sources available to us. By some estimates, beef production accounts for eight to 10 times more carbon emissions than the production of chicken meat, and up to 50 times more than the production of beans.

In addition, although the new guidelines explicitly indict a pyramid that was influenced by food industry lobbyists, including those representing growers of corn and wheat, the panel behind this updated pyramid was found to have financial ties to the beef and dairy industries. So although the guidance has flipped, the underlying problem — conflicts of interest that keep the government promoting foods based on financial incentives rather than what science says is truly best for our health — may remain.

Staying healthy — at meal time and beyond

Eating “real” (i.e., unprocessed) food and focusing on protein intake are likely choices that’ll improve your overall health. So is limiting added sugars and refined carbohydrates.

But there are important nuances and caveats that these simplistic guidelines may be missing, like the danger of eating too many saturated fats — which are heavily present in the red meat and dairy products the new pyramid champions. (And yes, that’s even with the new discovery that a small amount of daily high-fat dairy could actually lower your risk of dementia.)

Residents of Blue Zones — areas of the globe where populations live longer, happier lives — tend to eat largely plant-based diets, with a focus on fruits, vegetables, beans and nuts, along with certain lean animal protein sources like fish and eggs.

If you’re at a loss about how to implement the new dietary guidelines, your insurance plan may pay for you to visit a nutritionist — especially if your doctor thinks you’re at high risk for certain diet-related diseases like diabetes, heart disease or obesity.

And if you’re on Medicare, your plan may also cover gym memberships and fitness programs like Silver Sneakers or Renew Active. Movement can also help you hedge against lifestyle-related diseases — an important supplement to any healthy diet.