The New Nutrition Pyramid
The USDA recently announced the 2025-2030 dietary guidelines along with the corresponding new nutrition pyramid (aka “Cartman’s Pyramid”), which has caused quite a stir in the nutrition community. The look of the new pyramid has not drastically changed. However, there are some differences and if you read the accompanying guidelines, you learn that they don’t quite mesh with the visual of the pyramid. How did this all come about?
Background Information
By law, every five years the USDA and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) work together to publish updated dietary guidelines along with a visual aid for the public. These guidelines are supposed to be based on a research-supported report developed by the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC). The DGAC is an independent committee made up of subject matter experts appointed by the secretaries of the HHS and the USDA. The DGAC submits their report and together the USDA and HHS develop guidelines that are used to guide national nutrition policy.
In December of 2024 (prior to the beginning of the new administration) the DGAC submitted their report. When the 2025-2030 guidelines were revealed on January 7th, 2026, in an unprecedented move, they were accompanied by a different report, written by the current administration and designed to “correct” the original DGAC report. Since the final guidelines were revealed, there has been significant concern and commentary about the new guidelines - largely about the fact that some of the recommendations dispute years of science-based recommendations.
The New “Pyramid”
On January 7th the new nutrition visual debuted in the form of an inverted pyramid and was accompanied by the written Dietary Guidelines. Per the new written guidelines: “American households must prioritize diets built on whole, nutrient-dense foods—protein, dairy, vegetables, fruits, healthy fats, and whole grains. Paired with a dramatic reduction in highly processed foods laden with refined carbohydrates, added sugars, excess sodium, unhealthy fats, and chemical additives, this approach can change the health trajectory for so many Americans.”
This sounds good, but when you compare this statement with the new “pyramid” and the actual written guidelines, questions arise. The new visual is similar to an upside down version of the pyramid that was used from 1992-2011 (which emphasized grains, fruit and vegetables and has been routinely criticized by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK) even though it has not been used since 2011). Looking at the pyramid, it is inferred that the foods pictured at the top should be the base of our diet, with the foods pictured below eaten in smaller quantities, based on their position in the pyramid. For instance, according to this pyramid, steak, ground beef, and vegetables should be eaten frequently. Whole grains, which are at the tip, should not be eaten as often. Let’s look at the different food groups.
Protein
Protein, particularly animal protein, is emphasized in both the new pyramid and the written guidelines. In fact, the protein recommendations in the guidelines are almost double what has been recommended previously. This is not an uncommon recommendation among nutrition experts, and there is research to show that specific demographics (those trying to lose weight, active people, post menopausal women, the elderly) benefit from increased protein intake. Having said that, it is rare to see protein deficiency in healthy adults in the U.S. as most people get plenty using the previous recommendations.
While the increased protein recommendation isn’t a huge sticking point, the suggested protein source is. The new recommendations encourage animal protein sources rather than plant and fish sources. Animal protein, particularly red meat and whole fat dairy products, are higher in saturated fat which increases your risk of heart disease. Plant and fish sources (salmon, tuna, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, soy products) are lower in saturated fat, higher in healthy fats, contain more fiber and are highly recommended as components of traditional healthy diets such as the Mediterranean and DASH diet. The new emphasis on red meat and whole fat dairy is of significant concern.
Bottom line: Eat more protein as needed (talk to a dietitian to determine your individual needs), but consume more plant protein and include fish twice a week in your diet.
Fats
The new guidelines continue with the same recommendation as previous guidelines: Keep saturated fat intake to less than 10% of total calories. However, the fact that both the new pyramid and the new guidelines emphasize red meat, whole fat diary, butter and beef tallow is a bit confusing. It is virtually impossible to keep your saturated fat intake low while consuming these foods routinely.
The guidelines also want you to limit your intake of seeds oils, such as corn, vegetable, sunflower and soybean oil. Years of research has repeatedly shown that replacing saturated fat with unsaturated fat (olive, avocado and seeds oils) will lower cholesterol levels and decrease your risk for heart disease. Nuts and seeds, which are healthy sources of unsaturated fat, are shown in the pyramid but given their nutritional value are not emphasized enough.
Bottom line: Limited intake of red meat, butter or beef tallow is not a huge problem, such as when you go to a restaurant that uses beef tallow. However, I encourage you to not make this a routine part of your diet. Saturated fat from foods like red meat, butter and beef tallow definitely needs to be limited. Cook with olive, avocado or other oils and choose foods with healthy fats such as salmon, tuna, nuts, and seeds.
Dairy
Dairy has been a contested topic for years. Many people cannot consume dairy products due to intolerance issues and get the typical dairy nutrients elsewhere. The general consensus is that there is nothing wrong with consuming dairy products, and dairy is a good source of protein and other nutrients, but it isn’t a necessary part of the daily diet. The new pyramid doesn’t emphasize dairy, but the guidelines do encourage three cups of WHOLE milk each day. The fact that whole fat dairy products are being encouraged is not sitting well with many people in the nutrition community due to their saturated fat content.
Some recent research has shown that the saturated fat in items such as yogurt, milk and cheese (not butter) may have a more neutral effect on cholesterol levels, meaning that these foods may not increase cholesterol levels like we once thought they did. We need more research in this area before it becomes common to recommend whole fat dairy products. You also need to remember that the more fat you consume, the more calories you consume. And the calories in fat add up quickly as there are twice as many in fat compared to protein and carbohydrates.
Bottom line: Dairy is a good source of protein, vitamin D, calcium and other nutrients. However, it does contain saturated fat, so if you have a history of cholesterol or heart disease issues, stick to lower fat options until definitive research tells us otherwise.
Fruits and Vegetables
The new written guidelines continue to encourage 3 servings of vegetables and 2 servings of fruit each day. However the new pyramid appears to slightly deemphasize fruit in favor of protein. The MyPlate diagram (the previous USDA visual) suggested that 50% of your meal come from vegetables and fruits, which aligns with what the vast majority of nutrition experts and organizations recommend: plant heavy diets. The importance of fruits and vegetables cannot be understated; they contain plant chemicals that are crucial for preventing chronic disease.
Bottom Line: Eat a minimum of 3 servings of vegetables and 2 servings of fruit each. Variety is key! The more variety the better.
Whole Grains and Fiber
The new pyramid shows whole grains listed at the bottom, which would imply that these foods should not be eaten as often as those listed toward the top. The actual written guidelines state that 2-4 servings of whole grains should be consumed daily, a slight change from the 3 servings per day the previous guidelines recommended. It’s well established that whole grains, and the fiber and nutrients they contain, are a necessary part of a healthy diet.
Given the well documented health benefits of fiber and the fact that most people only get half of the daily 25-35 gram recommendation, this is an area that deserves more attention. Including whole wheat bread, old fashioned oatmeal, brown rice, whole grain pasta, farro and quinoa is good for your gut microbiome, aids in weight management and blood sugar control and will help prevent heart disease and certain types of cancer.
Bottom line: Let’s give fiber more attention in our daily diet. Three servings of whole grains each day will go a long way towards meeting your fiber needs.
Alcohol
Alcohol has never been depicted in the USDA visual, but the guidelines have typically recommended no more than 2 drinks per day for men and no more than 1 drink per day for women. The current guidelines loosen these recommendations, saying “limit alcoholic beverages” and then go on to list groups that should avoid it completely, such as pregnant women or those with a history of alcohol use disorders. It is unclear why the guidelines were loosened as there is no research indicating that more than 1-2 drinks each day is healthy and in fact, alcohol is a known carcinogen.
Bottom line: No more than 1 drink per day for women and 2 for men; less is better. Note: this is not an average of what you drink all week. In other words, if you have 7 drinks on Saturday, you cannot average that and say “that’s one drink each day.”
What Else?
A few more comments.
The comments in the new Dietary Guidelines about consuming fermented foods and fiber to enhance gut health are nice to see, and are important for developing nutrition policy. However there are no fermented foods in the pyramid and whole grains are at the bottom of it. Given that most people don’t read the guidelines, this message will likely not be seen by the public.
Limiting added sugar and salt has been part of the guidelines for years. The current guidelines use the word “avoid”, sending the message that there is no acceptable level of added sugar in a person’s diet. So no birthday cake or Christmas cookies? We need people to understand that including an occasional treat is perfectly fine and can easily be part of a healthy diet.
The inverted pyramid shows pictures of whole, fresh foods such fruits, vegetables, whole grain breads, meats and fish as well as canned green beans and frozen peas. Including canned and frozen produce is a definite plus. The emphasis on unprocessed foods is good but we need to remember that a diet made entirely of unprocessed, whole foods is not within everyone’s reach. In today’s economy these foods are more expensive. It is possible to create a healthy diet using some convenience foods, but this is not addressed in the recommendations.
The 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines have removed any mention of health equity, and how nutrition and food relate to it (see the above comment). Health equity is clearly a problem in the United States and eliminating any mention of it, and how food can help or hinder the problem, does not benefit the American public.
Why Does it Matter?
By law, the Dietary Guidelines provide guidance for developing national nutrition policy. In other words, these guidelines dictate the nutritional policy for programs like WIC, Head Start, the United States military, VA programs and school lunches. So even if people don’t pay attention to the upside down pyramid that was produced for public guidance, if you use any of the above mentioned programs your nutritional health can be impacted. For this reason, everyone should continue to push for evidence-based nutrition information from our government.
The Very Bottom Line
While there are some good recommendations in the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines, the vast majority of nutrition experts will argue that the emphasis on animal protein and foods high in saturated fat, the placement of whole grains at the bottom of the pyramid and the new alcohol guidelines are not the best way to keep Americans healthy. Instead, let’s continue to focus on lean proteins, unsaturated fats, a variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, fish twice a week, seeds, nuts and fermented foods; eating patterns that are part of the Mediterranean, DASH and MIND diets.
If you have any questions, or for individualized advice regarding your particular nutritional needs, email me at mb@mbhyneknutrition.com or use the “Contact Me” form on my website. I look forward to hearing from you!