“The consequences have been devastating. More than 70% of American adults are overweight or obese. Nearly one in three American adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 has prediabetes. Diet-driven chronic disease now disqualifies large numbers of young Americans from military service”
The new US Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2025-2030) have been released, and as with any major nutrition guideline update, there’s already plenty of discussion, debate and differing opinions. And that’s great! But, at Sally-Ann Creed, we’re not here for politics or headlines. We’re here for science. We’ve taken time to read the guidance, look at the evidence it’s built on and consider what it means in real life, because “what works on paper” and “what works for a human being with a busy life, preferences, culture, budget and health goals” aren’t always the same thing.
The pyramid itself
One reason these guidelines often feel controversial isn’t because the science is new, it’s because the way the guidance is visualised. Food pyramids are designed to communicate population-level advice quickly. But when people see certain foods placed prominently in a pyramid, it can feel like: “This is all I’m allowed to eat.” In reality, these visuals are not intended to dictate exact portions, exclude foods or prescribe strict meal plans. They show relative emphasis, not rules.
What these models cannot account for is individual blood sugar regulation, appetite control, physical activity, cultural eating patterns, food access or personal health goals. This is where individualised nutrition matters.
Where there is broad agreement:
- Nutrition works best when we look at the whole dietary patterns, not single nutrients in isolation.
- Dietary quality matters more than chasing individual foods or supplements.
- Adequate protein is important at every stage of life.
- There is growing concern about the health effects of highly and ultra-processed foods.
- There should be a shift towards prevention rather than cure.
Large, well-designed studies repeatedly show that diets rich in vegetables and fruit, legumes and whole grains, nuts and seeds and quality protein sources are linked to a lower risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and early mortality. This reflects how nutrition science has evolved over time. Rather than focusing narrowly on single nutrients, the emphasis has shifted toward how foods are eaten together, the quality of the diet as a whole, and what supports health long-term and sustainably (Talegawkar et al 2024).
As noted in the evidence underpinning the guidelines, diets should prioritise whole, nutrient-dense foods such as protein, dairy, vegetables, fruits, healthy fats and whole grains, while significantly reducing highly processed foods that are often high in refined carbohydrates, added sugars, excess sodium, unhealthy fats and chemical additives.
Now let’s look a bit more into the individual macro nutrients:
Carbohydrates:
The Dietary Guidelines are not prescriptive meal plans, nor do they promote carbohydrate restriction, although the visual pyramid can sometimes create confusion. Their emphasis is on:
- Improving carbohydrate quality.
- Limiting added sugars and refined products.
- Encouraging fibre-rich carbohydrate sources within balanced dietary patterns.
This distinction is often lost in public conversation. The focus is not “no carbs” but better carbs. The guidelines support carbohydrates that contribute fibre, micronutrients and metabolic health, rather than refined, highly processed options. Carbohydrate quality also plays a key role in gut health. Your gut contains trillions of microorganisms that influence digestion, immunity and metabolic function. Diets high in highly processed foods can disrupt this balance, while vegetables, fruit, fermented foods (such as sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir and miso) and fibre-rich foods support a more diverse and resilient microbiome. Greater microbial diversity is increasingly associated with better health outcomes.
Protein:
While earlier dietary guidance was often interpreted as discouraging higher protein intake in favour of carbohydrate-heavy patterns, the current guidelines align more closely with the scientific evidence by emphasising high-quality, nutrient-dense protein at every meal. This includes a variety of animal-based sources such as eggs, poultry, seafood and red meat, alongside plant-based proteins including beans, peas, lentils, legumes, nuts, seeds and soy foods. Adequate protein intake is recognised as essential across the lifespan for muscle health, metabolic function, satiety and overall resilience.
Highly processed foods:
For the first time, the Dietary Guidelines directly highlight the health concerns associated with certain highly processed foods. The guidance recommends avoiding “highly processed packaged, prepared, ready-to-eat or other foods that are salty or sweet,” and specifically advises against sugar-sweetened beverages such as sodas, fruit drinks and energy drinks. Previous guidelines were often criticised for being vague around added sugars, particularly in early childhood. The updated guidance takes a clearer position, stating that no amount of added sugars or non-nutritive sweeteners is recommended or considered part of a healthy dietary pattern, and strongly advises parents to avoid added sugars entirely for children aged four years and under.
Fat:
Rather than focusing on fat reduction, the guidelines emphasise fat quality. They recommend that most dietary fat come from whole-food sources such as meat, poultry, eggs, omega-3 rich seafood, nuts, seeds, full-fat dairy, olives and avocados. When fats are added during cooking or preparation, the guidance supports using nutrient-dense options with essential fatty acids, such as olive oil. This reflects a continued shift away from blanket low-fat messaging toward a more nuanced, evidence-based understanding of dietary fat.
Taken together, the 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines reinforce a message that has been building for years: diets must prioritise whole, nutrient-dense foods and significantly reduce reliance on highly processed products. Paired with improved protein adequacy and better carbohydrate quality, this approach has the potential to meaningfully shift long-term health outcomes.
The most effective diet is not the one that looks best on a pyramid, but the one that can be sustained long-term while supporting metabolic health, strength and overall wellbeing.
We’d love to know what you think about the pyramid. If you have thoughts, questions or reflections, please send us an email, we’d love to hear from you.
Sources:
Talegawkar S, Tobias D, Fung T, Giovannucci E, Hoelscher DM, Anderson CAM, Booth S, Deierlein A, Gardner C, Raynor H, Stanford FC, Taylor C, English LK, Reigh N, Higgins M, Butera G, Callahan E, Huang S, Raghavan R, Terry N, Obbagy J. Dietary Patterns and Risk of Type 2 Diabetes: A Systematic Review [Internet]. Alexandria (VA): USDA Nutrition Evidence Systematic Review; 2024 Nov. PMID: 39817923.
Ahmad S, Moorthy MV, Demler OV, et al. Assessment of Risk Factors and Biomarkers Associated With Risk of Cardiovascular Disease Among Women Consuming a Mediterranean Diet. JAMA Netw Open. 2018;1(8):e185708. Published 2018 Dec 7. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.5708
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Fact Sheet: Historic Reset of Federal Nutrition Policy. 2025.
Available here
