Feds Flip Food Pyramid, Elevate Steak and Butter

Steak just muscled its way toward the top of the federal nutrition guidebook. The Trump administration on Wednesday unveiled revised dietary guidelines that put a heavy emphasis on protein—steak, cheese, whole milk, butter, and beef tallow among them—while taking a tougher line on sugar and refined carbs. The guidelines feature an upside-down version of the food pyramid, with whole grains at the bottom and meat and cheese at the top, along with fruits and vegetables, the Hill reports. "The new framework centers on protein and healthy fats, vegetables, fruits and whole grains," HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s said Wednesday. "It's upside down, a lot of people say. It was actually upside down before."

• The document reflects Kennedy's long-running criticism of processed and sugary foods, though several of his more controversial claims remain on the sidelines, reports the New York Times.

• Protein: The guidelines, which are updated every five years and steer what's served in schools, hospitals, prisons, military bases, and federal food programs, advise adults to consume 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily. That's roughly 50% to 100% higher than past federal targets and exceeds what most Americans already eat, though many sports and weight-loss experts recommend similar levels for people building muscle or trying to slim down, the Times reports. The new advice lists both animal and plant protein sources but doesn't nudge people toward beans, nuts, or soy, despite research tying higher plant-protein intake to lower risks of heart disease and early death.

• Fats: On fats, the administration stopped short of the "end the war on saturated fat" shift that Kennedy and FDA commissioner Dr. Marty Makary had signaled. The cap on saturated fat—no more than 10% of daily calories—remains, even as the guidelines also tell Americans to "prioritize" foods like red meat and full-fat dairy that can blow past that limit in a single serving. The document also mirrors mainstream advice in encouraging plenty of fruits and vegetables and calling for less alcohol, though prior specific drink limits are gone. The changes largely stop short of the sweeping revision some experts had expected, NBC News reports.
• Sugar: The strongest break from previous guidelines is on sugar. The guidelines urge avoiding sugary drinks, delaying added sugars for kids until age 10 (up from age 2), and cutting back on refined carbohydrates such as white bread and flour tortillas. They also tell Americans to steer clear of "highly processed" foods like chips, cookies, and candy with added sugars, sodium, or certain additives, echoing Kennedy's attacks on ultraprocessed foods without using that term.

• Committee's advice rejected: The slimmed-down guidelines were crafted by a new, handpicked panel that worked in secret after Kennedy dismissed recommendations from an expert committee convened under the Biden administration. The American Medical Association has endorsed the guidance, days after blasting Kennedy's overhaul of the childhood vaccine schedule.
• Criticism: Marion Nestle, professor emerita of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University, tells NBC that while the advice on highly processed foods is an improvement, "everything else is weaker or has no scientific justification." She says Americans already eat plenty of protein and that guideline doesn't make sense except as an "excuse to advise more meat and dairy, full fat, which will make it impossible to keep saturated fat to 10% of calories or less."