What the new Trump administration's food guidelines mean for your plate

Beef is back. Crackers are out.

New dietary guidelines released this week by the Trump administration emphasize "whole foods" over those that are highly processed. What does that mean when it comes to what's on your plate?

Besides continuing the longstanding emphasis to eat your fruits and vegetables, the recommendations include having protein at every meal, embracing full-fat dairy products such as whole milk, and ditching refined carbohydrates like white bread, flour tortillas and crackers.

In addition, cooking with beef tallow and butter are touted as ways to incorporate healthy fats into some meals.

Officials framed it as a return to whole foods while minimizing consumption of those that are highly processed.

"This is the most significant reset of federal nutritional policy in history," Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said at a White House press conference Wednesday.

The guidelines, which are revisited every five years, help shape menus at schools and military facilities, and those tied to federal nutrition programs.

Many of the general recommendations are similar to those of previous years, including limiting sugar, sodium and alcohol.

But officials said while prior guidelines "demonized protein in favor of carbohydrates," the new ones include protein from animal sources such as red meat, poultry and seafood, as well as plant-based ones including lentils, beans and soy. An earlier version of the guidelines, submitted for review in December 2024 and rejected by the Trump administration, suggested people reduce their consumption of red meat.

The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines used a dinner plate to help illustrate a healthy meal. Half the plate was filled with vegetables and fruits, about a quarter was protein and another quarter was grains, half of which should be whole grains.

The new guidelines use an inverted pyramid structure, placing protein, dairy and healthy fats at the top along with vegetables and fruits, while whole grains are at the bottom.

And while the previous focus was on lean meats, poultry and eggs, the new guidelines also embrace red meat such as steak.

Some nutritionists interviewed by Newsday said they were concerned about the focus on full-fat dairy and the suggested daily protein intake.

"While certain populations do require a higher protein intake, like high-level athletes who are training to build muscle mass, average individuals would probably be overconsuming protein," said Sotiria Everett, a registered dietitian and clinical assistant professor at Stony Brook Medicine.

Emily Feivor, a registered dietitian at Long Island Jewish Forest Hills Hospital in Queens, said people who choose to eat red meat should focus on lean cuts such as tenderloins or ground meat that only has 7% or 10% fat.

"We’re not talking about a fast food burger," she said. "We are talking about one you make at home, drain the fat, cook it without adding extra fat."

Adding carbohydrates in their whole form can be as simple as adding a potato with the skin to a meal, or a starchy vegetable like corn or peas, Feivor said.

Feivor said while she supported a focus on whole foods, it’s important that recommendations are based on scientific evidence.

An advisory committee of nutrition experts spent two years updating the guidelines, presenting HHS with their recommendations in December 2024. The Trump administration rejected many of those new guidelines and put another group of advisers in place to overhaul the document. Several of the new members disclosed ties to the meat and dairy industries.

Teresa Fung, an adjunct professor of nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, who was a member of the original advisory committee, said they wanted plant-based proteins like beans, peas and lentils to be highlighted in the guidelines.

"These are high in fiber, low in saturated fats, high in folate," she said in an interview. "Existing data shows that they reduce cardiovascular risk."

Fung said she was happy that the new report kept an emphasis on fruits and vegetables and whole grains, while limiting alcohol and highly processed foods. 

"I’m a little concerned that they are putting full-fat dairy so prominently," said Fung, who is also a professor of nutrition at Simmons University in Boston. "There are people who have lactose intolerance and those who culturally do not have dairy as a big part of their diet ... all the nutrients in dairy can be obtained with other foods."

Stony Brook Medicine's Everett, whose child attends public school on Long Island, said she hopes the message about slashing consumption of ultra-processed food is reflected in school lunch menus, which can include mozzarella sticks and French toast sticks.

"It's a little horrific, in my opinion," she said.

By Lisa L. Colangelo

lisa.colangelo@newsday.com@lisalcolangelo

Lisa joined Newsday as a staff writer in 2019. She previously worked at amNewYork, the New York Daily News and the Asbury Park Press covering politics, government and general assignment.