New U.S. Dietary Guidelines Target Processed Foods
Washington just fired a warning shot at America’s pantry. The 2025–2030 U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, released Wednesday, sharpen federal advice around cutting highly processed foods and added sugar—while quietly raising the bar on protein.
“Our message is clear: Eat real food,” said Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at a White House briefing, per The Associated Press, framing the update as part of a broader push to improve the nation’s health.
A Tougher Stance on Processed Foods and Sugar
For the first time, the guidelines explicitly advise avoiding “highly processed” foods. Think packaged, salty, or sweet staples like chips, cookies, and candy. These foods, often called ultra-processed, account for more than half of the calories in many Americans’ diets and have been linked to obesity and diabetes, the AP reports.
Added sugar also gets a firmer warning. The guidelines say no amount of added sugar is considered part of a healthy diet, recommending no more than 10 grams per meal. That’s a big shift from how most people eat: the American Heart Association estimates Americans consume about 17 teaspoons of added sugar per day.
Protein Recommendations Move Higher
Another notable change: protein. The updated guidance raises recommended intake to 1.2–1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight, up from the long-standing minimum of 0.8 g/kg. The shift reflects growing evidence that higher protein intakes can help preserve muscle and improve metabolic health.
“I think a moderate increase in protein to help displace processed carbohydrates makes sense,” David Ludwig, MD, PhD, an endocrinologist at Boston Children’s Hospital, told the AP.
The guidelines also contain some more-controversial elements, including encouraging the use of butter and beef tallow for cooking, although stopped short of promoting some of Kennedy's more-criticized nutritional advice like promoting saturated fats and making unsupported health claims about seed oils. The American Medical Association has endorsed the new guidelines.
How to Eat Less Processed Food
You don’t need to overhaul your entire diet, these practical tweaks put the new federal guidance to work today.
- Lead with protein at meals. Aim for 25–40 grams from eggs, fish, lean meat, dairy, or legumes. Services like ButcherBox make it easy to stock your freezer with humanely raised beef, chicken, and seafood without relying on ultra-processed options.
- Cut added sugar fast. Skip sweetened drinks and scan labels on sauces and snacks.
- Choose real carbs. Opt for potatoes, beans, or fruit over packaged snacks.
- Drink less alcohol. The new guidance drops numeric limits and simply advises consuming less for better health. If you choose to booze, Athletic Brewing Run Wild tastes like a hoppy beer but has less than 0.5% alcohol, around 70 calories, and low carbs.
- Track macros the old-school way. Jot protein, carbs, and fats by hand—it’s faster and more mindful than an app. A Field Notes Pitch Black Memo Book paired with the Fisher Space Pen slip right into your back pocket, so there’s no excuse not to log.
The guidelines will shape everything from school lunches to federal nutrition programs. Whether Americans follow them is another story—but the advice itself is clearer than it’s been in years.
Related: What Time-Restricted Eating Does to Your Body, According to Experts