Carbohydrates, saturated fats, seed oils, essential nutrients, and ultra-processed foods could all be central topics for reform in the next U.S. Dietary Guidelines, set to be updated in 2025. These guidelines, mandated by a 1990 law to be revised every five years, are crafted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). They shape dietary advice for policymakers, nutritionists, schools, businesses, and families through 2030.
The upcoming revisions will take place during Donald Trump’s second presidential term, with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as health secretary. Advocates like Nina Teicholz, founder of the Nutrition Coalition, see this as an opportunity for significant changes. Teicholz, who has worked to reform the guidelines for over a decade, told Newsweek she is in discussions with the Trump administration and the Make America Healthy Again movement to influence the 2025 guidelines.
Teicholz criticized the current guidelines for their heavy emphasis on carbohydrates, which recommend up to six daily servings of bread, cereal, rice, and pasta, and up to 10% of daily energy intake from sugar. The Nutrition Coalition argues this contributes to rising rates of type 2 diabetes and obesity.
She also called for the removal of restrictions on saturated fats, which are currently capped at less than 10% of daily calories. While some nutrition experts link saturated fats to heart disease, others, including Teicholz, cite over 23 studies suggesting these fats have little to no impact on heart disease or mortality rates.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been vocal about dietary changes, including promoting the use of animal fats like tallow over vegetable oils, which current guidelines recommend as part of a healthy diet. Kennedy has described seed oils as “one of the most unhealthy ingredients in food.”
Teicholz also highlighted deficiencies in the current guidelines, which fail to provide adequate levels of essential nutrients like vitamin D, vitamin E, choline, and folate, even when followed perfectly. She advocated for guidelines that prioritize whole, natural foods to meet daily micronutrient needs.
Additionally, Kennedy has called attention to ultra-processed foods—products containing additives like emulsifiers, preservatives, and artificial colorings—which are heavily criticized in dietary recommendations from nations like Brazil, Belgium, and Israel. He has proposed stricter guidance on these foods in future guidelines.
However, proposals tied to Project 2025, a broader policy framework for the next administration, suggest potentially dismantling the Dietary Guidelines entirely. Advocates of this approach argue that dietary decisions should be left to individuals and private sector advice rather than government mandates. Critics, including Professor Shonil Bhagwat of the Open University, warn this could eliminate a vital standard for assessing food health and nutrition.
Teicholz remains optimistic: “If we bring increased rigor to the guidelines and implement evidence-backed changes, we have a real chance to reverse the epidemics of chronic disease in America.”
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