How to Think About the New Dietary Guidelines for Americans

The visual of the upside-down food pyramid also sparked confusion for showcasing foods high in saturated fat (such as the ribeye and Swiss cheese in the top left) while relegating fiber-rich beans and whole grains to the bottom. Guidelines aside, nutrition science is complex and constantly evolving, so to help us make sense of the news, we turned to registered dietitians on the Atria Health Institute team for their takes.

1. Limit highly processed foods and added sugars

Not surprisingly, our experts agreed with the recommendation to prioritize whole foods over highly processed foods and foods with “artificial flavors, petroleum-based dyes, artificial preservatives, and low-calorie non-nutritive sweeteners.”

Highly processed or ultra-processed foods have been linked to an array of poor health outcomes including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, depression, cancer, dementia, early death, and more. They’re also often low in fiber and high in calories, salt, sugar, and additives. Eating a wide diversity of plant-based foods, by contrast, can help heart health and support a healthy gut microbiome. In that vein, Adam Ross, RD, noted it was a positive sign to see the guidelines highlight the importance of gastrointestinal health when choosing foods.

The new guidelines recommend a strict limit on added sugars, with no more than 10 grams of added sugars per meal (that’s less than what’s in a scoop of ice cream). “These updates are moving in the right direction,” says Sunny Bozymski, MS, RD.

2. Focus on “healthy fats” and eat dairy

This has prompted significant debate, in part because there is a contradiction inherent in the new guidelines. On the one hand, the guidelines stick with the previous recommendation of getting no more than 10% of daily calories from saturated fats. But they also now suggest people eat animal-derived foods—such as red meat, full-fat dairy, butter, and beef tallow—that are naturally high in saturated fat.

“If you cook with beef tallow, have a ribeye steak, or eat full-fat dairy every day, you're going to be well above that 10% limit of calories from saturated fat,” says Christina Schreckengaust, MPH, RD. Research links saturated fat to high LDL cholesterol and increased risk of heart disease, but the full picture is more nuanced. Saturated fats from highly processed foods such as baked goods, packaged snacks, fried foods, pizza, and ice cream are the first things to limit, according to Atria’s registered dietitians. Full-fat dairy, on the other hand, may not be the villain we thought, and a recent study even linked the consumption of high-fat cheese to lower dementia risk. If you have high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or a family history of cardiovascular issues, however, low-fat or fat-free dairy are better options, according to Ross.

For cooking, Atria’s registered dietitians recommend sticking with olive oil, avocado oil, and vegetable oils that have essential fatty acids.

When it comes to red meat, Ross says he does not recommend consuming it more than once or twice per week, and he suggests you go for leaner cuts.

3. Protein should be consumed at every meal

Protein is another area that saw a shakeup. The new guidelines recommend most people aim for 1.2–1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight, which is about 0.5–0.7 grams per pound. While that’s 50-100% more than previous federal recommendations, it’s also the amount that many experts, including Atria clinicians, also recommend for optimal health.

This, of course, varies based on individual needs—people trying to build muscle need more protein than someone who is not, for instance—but overall, our experts were aligned with the recommendation to eat protein throughout the day.

However, missing from the guidelines is discussion of the ideal sources of protein based on the available data. Instead, they’re listed in this order: “eggs, poultry, seafood, and red meat, as well as a variety of plant-sourced protein foods, including beans, peas, lentils, legumes, nuts, seeds, and soy.”

“If we want to stick with evidence-based guidance, I would flip the list of protein sources to put plant sources of protein first,” Ross says, citing decades of research showing that getting more protein from plant-based sources vs. from animal sources can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and death by any cause.

The bottom line

While the upside-down food pyramid has drawn some attention and confusion, our nutrition experts say it’s more useful to think of your food breakdown like this:

1. The majority of your plate should consist of protein and plants.
2. Fiber is incredibly important for overall health and digestion.
3. Eat carbohydrates in moderate portions, emphasizing whole grains or complex carbs.
4. Adding in healthy fats (including omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids) can help with vitamin absorption, cell functioning, brain, and heart health.