NEXSTAR) – Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. joined White House press briefing Wednesday to announce new dietary guidelines for Americans, which he described as “the most significant reset of federal nutrition policy” in history.
The guidance emphasizes proteins, healthy fats, vegetables, fruits and whole grains, Kennedy said, while discouraging the consumption of sugary foods and drinks.
“My message is clear: Eat real food,” Kennedy said.
Kennedy revealed the new food pyramid, which is now an upside-down triangle. At the top, the largest part of the pyramid, are protein, dairy, healthy fats and produce. At the bottom, in the smallest tip of the pyramid, are whole grains like bread and rice.
The old guidance, in effect from 2020 to 2025, ditched the pyramid format in favor of a plate split into roughly four quarters. The “MyPlate” nutrition plan advised making about half of your plate fruit and vegetables, a quarter of your plate protein and a quarter of it grains. It advised consuming low-fat or fat-free dairy options.
FILE – First Lady Michelle Obama unveils the new “MyPlate” food icon with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack (L) and US Surgeon General Regina Benjamin at the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in Washington, DC, June 2, 2011. (IM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)
Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins was also present to help unveil the guidelines, which cover 2025 to 2030. Kennedy and Rollins both railed against added sugars and junk food, saying they contribute to high obesity rates and chronic disease, bringing up the country’s health care cost.
“Today our government declares war on added sugar,” Kennedy said.
In November, Kennedy had promised to end “the war on saturated fats” in the U.S, NewsNation’s partner the Hill reported. The stance is at odds with public health experts, who have advised that saturated fats make up a small part of people’s diet – less than 10% according to the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion and less than 6% according to the American Heart Association.
The Hill previously reported that an announcement concerning saturated fats was expected last month, but was rescheduled for this week.
A systematic review published in 2025 found that “among persons at high cardiovascular risk, low- to moderate-certainty evidence was found for important reductions in mortality and major cardiovascular events, particularly for MI, with respect to replacing saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat.”
“When you look at the systemic reviews that have been published this past year – ‘24 and ‘25 and previously – they all point to one thing: lower saturated fat reduces risk of cardiovascular disease,” Alison Steiber, Chief Mission, Impact and Strategy Officer for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, told The Hill
“Even in healthier populations that are at risk for cardio metabolic disease, in patients that are overweight or obese living with obesity, all of those have the lower the saturated fat intake, the better the outcomes,” Steiber added.
Kennedy is a self-described adherent to the so-called “carnivore diet” which he has described as “mainly meat and then fermented — anything fermented. So, a lot of yogurt, good yogurt without sugar in it. Then, coleslaw and kimchi and all kinds of fermented vegetables.”
Frederic Bertley, president and CEO of the Center of Science and Industry, cautioned that “extremes are never a good idea regarding human health.”
Discussing the carnivore diet, Bertley said, “The potential impacts in the short-term can include weight loss and improved blood sugar control, likely due to carbohydrate restriction. However, long-term impacts of high saturated consumption lead to elevated LDLs, which can increase the risk of heart disease and other associated cardiovascular diseases.”
Kennedy and his allies frequently cite how other countries and cultures live, arguing that they are healthier.
“Proponents of high saturated fat consumption often cite research on traditional diets, for example the Canadian Inuit population or the Kenyan Maasai Tribe members, that are high in animal fat but associated with low rates of heart disease,” noted Bertley. “Along with genetics, these examples involve unique cultural and lifestyle habits that cannot be generalized to most populations.”
Alice H. Lichtenstein, Gershoff Professor of Nutrition Science and Policy at the Friedman School at Tufts University, observed echoes of the “French paradox,” the seemingly lower rate of heart disease among French people despite a perceived high consumption of fats like butter and cheese.
“I think we can’t just rely on the knee-jerk reaction that all these other countries eat lots of saturated fat, and they’re doing great. I think there’s a lot of things that go on,” said Lichtenstein.
Both Lichtenstein and Steiber noted that while other countries might eat higher amounts of saturated fat, people in these countries also often tend to be more active than Americans.
Between 2017 and 2020, 25.3% of American adults reported being physically inactive, which federal health authorities define as not engaging in any physical activities outside of work within the past month.
Kennedy has also taken various steps to promote more physical activity since taking over the country’s health agencies.