Eat Real Food? Nutrition Advice · Episode 8 of 9 · 20 min
Eat Real Food? — The 2025 Guidelines and the New Pyramid
On January 7, 2026, the USDA and HHS released new Dietary Guidelines, retired MyPlate and unveiled an inverted New Pyramid with protein, dairy and healthy fats at the top, under an eat-real-food banner. Supporters praised its stance on ultra-processed food and added sugar. Harvard, Stanford and The Lancet called it internally inconsistent.
Who's who
- Robert F. Kennedy Jr.+2 more episodesHHS Secretary and public face of the Make America Healthy Again agenda
- Frank HuHarvard nutrition chair who flagged mixed messages on saturated fat
- Deirdre TobiasHarvard epidemiologist and advisory committee member who questioned the process
Timeline
- 1992USDA releases the original Food Guide Pyramid
- 2011USDA introduces MyPlate
- 2024Independent advisory committee submits its scientific report
- January 7, 2026USDA and HHS release the 2025-2030 guidelines and the inverted New Pyramid
- January 9, 2026Harvard Chan Nutrition Source publishes its analysis
- February 2026A Lancet Regional Health-Americas critique and a CSPI statement follow
Still debated
Critics say the food advice makes the 10 percent saturated-fat cap nearly impossible to meet, while defenders say food choices can stay under it. Whether the saturated-fat turn is evidence-based or industry-driven, and the age threshold for avoiding added sugar, are disputed.
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