WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Trump administration on Wednesday released new Dietary Guidelines for Americans, describing them as a sweeping overhaul of federal nutrition policy aimed at reducing chronic disease, lowering health care costs, and shifting government food programs toward what officials called “real food.”
The guidelines, which will cover the 2025–2030 period, were announced at the White House by Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt alongside Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins. Officials said the changes are central to President Donald Trump’s domestic agenda to “make America healthy again.”
Leavitt said the updated guidelines go beyond routine revisions, calling them the foundation for all federal food programs in the United States. Kennedy described the new framework as the most significant reset of federal nutrition policy to date, arguing that previous guidelines encouraged highly processed foods and refined carbohydrates while discouraging protein and healthy fats.
Kennedy accused past federal policy of prioritizing corporate interests over public health, saying the new approach would emphasize whole, nutrient-dense foods. Under the updated guidance, federal nutrition policy will focus on higher protein intake, fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and limits on added sugars. Kennedy said the administration was reversing long-standing caution around saturated fats while taking a harder stance on sugar consumption.
Rollins said decades of federal incentives had pushed diets away from foods produced by American farmers and ranchers, contributing to what she called a severe national chronic health crisis. She said the solution was straightforward and noncontroversial: encouraging Americans to eat less processed food and more whole foods.
The new dietary guidelines will influence meals served in public schools, the military, veterans’ hospitals, and federal nutrition programs such as SNAP, WIC, and Head Start. Administration officials said implementation would begin through revised procurement standards and updated program rules, rather than immediate mandates.
Kennedy said changes would not happen overnight but would become visible in the near future as federal agencies adjust policies and purchasing decisions.
Physician Mehmet Oz said the new guidelines could significantly reduce federal health spending by lowering rates of obesity-related diseases, arguing that prevention would reduce dependence on costly medications. FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said the shift marks a break from what he called long-standing nutritional dogma, noting that protein recommendations for children could rise substantially under the new framework.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans are updated every five years and play a major role in shaping food policy across federal agencies, affecting the daily diets of tens of millions of Americans. (Source: IANS)
