Takeaway
While nutrition messaging changes over time, the core principles remain the same—prioritize whole, nutrient-dense foods and help patients make small, sustainable changes that support long-term health.
Lifelong learning in clinical excellence | May 26, 2026 | 3 min read
By Ashli Greenwald, MS, RDN, LDN, Johns Hopkins Medicine
With the rollout of the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for American and the “Making American Healthy Again” (MAHA) movement, there’s been a lot of discussion and mixed opinions from the general public and from healthcare professionals on the changes. One of the biggest is the shift in visual messaging from the familiar and simple MyPlate model to a new inverted pyramid. This new format may create confusion.
Eat real food
At a basic level, the message from the new guidelines is simple: “Eat real food.” Many of the recommendations continue to align with longstanding evidence-based nutrition principles, while other aspects have raised questions. The new guidelines also emphasizes “realigning our food system” to support American farmers and producers while improving access and affordability. But the strong visual focus on animal-based foods may point to some industry influence, and with current food prices, affordability is still a real challenge for many families.
According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, several components of the new guidelines are consistent with established science-based recommendations, including:
1. Eat nutrient-dense foods such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
2. Limit highly processed foods and added sugars.
3. Maintain saturated fat intake at no more than 10% of total calories and prioritize healthier fats.
4. Increase attention to fiber intake and gut microbiome health.
That said, the updated visual model and messaging present important opportunities for further education:
1. Saturated fat
The new emphasis on foods like butter, beef tallow, red meat, and full-fat dairy is inconsistent with recommendations to limit saturated fat intake. Strong evidence links high saturated fat consumption with increased cardiovascular disease risk.
2. Dairy
While the new guidelines highlight whole-fat dairy, the American Heart Association continues to recommend low-fat or fat-free dairy options. Additionally, the guidelines don’t fully address the needs of individuals who avoid dairy due to intolerance, preference, or cultural practices.
3. Protein
There’s increased emphasis on higher protein intake, particularly from animal sources with suggested ranges of 1.2-1.6 g/kg/d. This exceeds the standard recommendation of 0.8 g/kg/day for most healthy adults. While higher protein needs may be appropriate for active individuals, especially those engaged in resistance training or endurance exercise, these targets may not be necessary for the general population and should be individualized.
Nutrition isn’t one-size-fits-all. Even when guidelines are evidence-based, people don’t always follow them. Obesity and chronic disease rates keep rising despite years of dietary recommendations, which show that habits, environment, and day-to-day choices matter more than just knowing what to do.
Current food trends like products marketed as “made without seed oils” or the use of beef tallow in foods can be misleading. It’s not one single ingredient that’s the problem, but the overall dietary pattern. Diets high in processed foods and low in fruits, vegetables, and whole are what really drive poor health outcomes.
Tips for talking about nutrition with patients:
1. Focus on overall dietary patterns, not individual foods.
It’s not about “good” or “bad” foods. It’s about daily eating choices.
2. Build a “healthy plate.”
A healthy plate includes a half plate of a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, ¼ lean protein, and ¼ whole grains (not refined grains).
3. Limit added sugars, processed foods, and high-fat cooking methods.
4. Keep it simple and realistic.
Emphasize small, sustainable changes such as replacing sugary beverages with water, adding frozen or fresh vegetables to meals, and choosing grilled options instead of fried foods when dining out.
At the end of the day, nutrition counseling should be clear, practical, and consistent. Instead of overwhelming patients with numbers and detailed guidelines, it’s more effective to focus on small, realistic changes they can stick with over time. These are what really make a difference for long-term health.
This piece expresses the views solely of the author. It does not necessarily represent the views of any organization, including Johns Hopkins Medicine.