New Dietary Guidelines for Americans call for higher protein intake and reduced consumption of ultraprocessed foods.
The newest 10-page report is far shorter than the 164-page version released in 2020. The guidelines encourage choosing whole foods — such as fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains — over those that are processed, refined or high in added sugar.
"We're now doing a science-based reassessment in which we are urging Americans to use, to eat, real food, real protein, fruits, vegetables and whole grains and to limit sugars, to limit salts and to limit particularly refined carbohydrates and ultra-processed foods," Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in an interview with Scripps News.
The report now suggests that adults consume 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. For example, a 200-pound person should eat between 109 and 146 grams of protein daily. Previous recommendations from the FDA for a person of that weight were about 73 grams.
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It also advises Americans to consider oils, butter and beef tallow when adding fats to meals, while continuing to recommend limiting saturated fat to no more than 10% of total daily calories. In December 2024, nutrition experts released their recommendations for the newest update. Their assertion reiterated previous reports: A healthy diet is lower in red and processed meats, as well as sugar-sweetened foods, refined grains and saturated fats.
However, the final guidelines did not make a distinction between red meat and white meat, such as chicken or turkey.
Kennedy disputed the panel's findings on saturated fats and red meat sources, suggesting they can play a larger role in Americans' diets.
"I don't think Americans are getting enough red meat. I think 40 to 50% of calories the kids get today are coming from ultra-processed foods, and that's because of the former recommendations the American Heart Association and some of the other associations were following dogma, and it was dogma that was dictated by commercial interests rather than science," Kennedy said.
He added, "All Americans should be eating a lot of protein, a lot of protein, a lot of vegetables, and I would not prioritize plant-based proteins over meat proteins. I don't think there's any scientific basis for that. Those recommendations are based upon a 1960 study that has been utterly debunked."
The guidelines, updated every five years, help shape policy and influence menus for school lunches, Meals on Wheels and other federally funded food programs.
