News

2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans urge ‘eat real food’ approach

The USDA and the Department of Health and Human Services have rolled out the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Ag Secretary Brooke Rollins says, “Eat real food.”  During a news conference on Wednesday, she said that federal incentives have promoted low-quality, highly processed foods for decades, but those days are over.  “Encourage households and schools to prioritize whole, nutrient dense foods,” she says. “That means more protein, more dairy, more healthy fats, more whole grains, more fruits and vegetables, whether they are fresh, frozen, canned, or dried.”

Sigrid Johannes, Executive Director of Government Affairs with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association says the guidelines are simple and to the point. “With the backing of numerous clinical trials, numerous peer-reviewed studies, we have demonstrated, over and over again, there is a way to fit beef into a healthy and balanced diet for Americans of all age groups.”

She tells Brownfield the 2025-2030 DGA’s are good for all animal proteins. “These DGAs recommend almost double the daily intake of protein compared to previous years,” she says.  “It used to be 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, they’ve raised that recommended intake to 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight depending on your age and your caloric needs.”

Jessica Kassel, a registered dietitian with the St. Louis Dairy Council says the guidelines recognize the importance of three servings of dairy each day. “Dairy foods, including milk, yogurt, and cheese, offer many essential nutrients including high-quality protein, calcium, and vitamin D,” she says.  “Milk, yogurt, and cheese are real foods.  They’re also versatile ingredients that can be incorporated into many recipes that will provide high-quality, nutrient-dense meals.”

American Soybean Association president Scott Metzger, an Ohio farmer, says the group was glad to see plant-based proteins like soy-based foods included.  “But with the soybean oil, we’re concerned they’re not considering it a heart-healthy oil,” he says.  “

He tells Brownfield research tells a different story. “We have cited studies where it is healthy and it’s safe,” he says.  “We’re a little disappointed in that and we’ll continue to work toward them getting a better understanding of it.”

The USDA says the guidelines emphasize simple, flexible guidance rooted in modern nutrition science.  That includes prioritizing protein at every meal, consuming full-fat dairy with no added sugars, eating fruits and vegetables throughout the day.  It also includes incorporating health fats from whole foods such as meats, seafood, eggs, nuts, seeds, olives, and avocados.   The DGA also suggests focusing on whole grains, while sharply reducing refined carbohydrates, limiting highly processed foods, added sugars, and artificial additives, and choosing water and unsweetened beverages to support hydration.

More information is available at www.realfood.gov.