The Trump administration just unveiled new federal dietary guidelines, and they’ve literally turned conventional nutrition wisdom upside down.
Remember the old food pyramid with grains at the base and fats at the tiny top? It’s been inverted. Now steak, eggs, cheese, and whole milk occupy the prime real estate, while grains have been relegated to a sliver at the bottom.
On Vox’s Today, Explained, food journalist Jane Black broke down what’s real, what’s contradictory, and what it means for what you’ll actually eat.
The Messaging Problem
The new guidelines recommend eating more protein and ending the “war on saturated fats.” But there’s a catch that nobody’s explaining clearly:
So the administration is telling you to load up on cheeseburgers while also saying saturated fat should stay under 10% of your diet. If you’re confused, you’re not alone.
Why The Confusion Exists
According to Black, the administration initially wanted to raise the limit on saturated fats but backed off at the last minute to avoid controversy:
The result is guidelines that visually contradict their own fine print.
The “Gold Standard Science” Irony
One of RFK Jr.’s major talking points has been demanding “gold standard science” free from industry influence. But when journalists looked at the citations for the new meat and dairy recommendations:
Funded by the National Cattlemen’s Association. The Texas Beef Council. The National Dairy Council.
What Actually Changes
These guidelines aren’t just suggestions on a poster. They determine what gets served in school cafeterias and military canteens. And that raises practical questions:
Schools already operate on tight budgets. If the new guidelines demand more expensive protein and less cheap grains, how do school lunch programs afford it? Nobody has answered that yet.
The Sugar War
One area where the guidelines are unambiguous: sugar is the enemy. Added sugar limits have been cut, and children under 10 are told to have no added sugars at all.
No Halloween candy. No birthday cake. No Christmas cookies. Good luck enforcing that one.
Will It Work?
The administration is “talking the talk,” as Black puts it, but whether this translates to healthier Americans depends on more than guidelines:
Ultra-processed foods remain cheap and convenient. Until that changes, telling people to eat differently only goes so far.
Explore more podcast conversations about health and policy in our search database.
