UAF Nutritionist Leslie Shallcross Examines New Federal Dietary Guidelines

Fairbanks, Alaska - Dietary Guidelines for Americans have been published approximately every five years since 1980, providing science-backed recommendations intended to prevent chronic illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes and being overweight. They serve as the foundation for school food and adult care food program policy, as well as community nutrition education and guidance. 

Nutritionists look at the research used to justify the guidelines. The public knows the guidelines by different names. In 1992, it was called the food pyramid. In 2005, it was the food pyramid, with an emphasis on exercise. In 2011, it was rebranded as MyPlate, and showed what a nutritionally balanced meal looks like on a plate. 

The newest guidelines were released a couple of weeks ago and have created some questions about what an individual consumer should change when feeding themselves or their families. Mostly, the recommendations are not so different from previous versions, but there are a few surprising changes, including flipping the food pyramid so that it stands precariously on a point. 

The following are core recommendations for the U.S. population from the 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, published jointly by the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services and Agriculture. 

Eat “real food” as the foundation of your diet, prioritizing whole, nutrient-dense foods and minimizing highly processed foods. This will help increase fiber and nutrients that may be lacking in processed foods.  

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Increase protein consumption and include high-quality protein at every meal from a variety of sources such as poultry, meat, seafood, eggs, beans, peas, lentils, legumes, nuts, seeds and soy. Protein-rich foods are good sources of many other necessary nutrients, such as iron and B vitamins, and can help create a sense of satiety. 

While most Americans are not under-consuming protein, there may be benefits to eating more to maintain and build muscle mass. In recent years, researchers have suggested that slightly higher protein intakes of 1-1.2 grams per kilogram of body weight are better, especially for older individuals.

The guidelines specifically support dairy consumption and recommend full-fat dairy options (whole milk) without added sugars. Cow’s milk is a rich source of protein, B vitamins, calcium, vitamin D and potassium. For individuals who do not tolerate cow’s milk and cheese, when selecting soy or nut milk substitutes, identify products that provide similar nutrients or consider how you will get those nutrients. If you choose whole milk instead of skim or low-fat milk, keep in mind that the heart health recommendations still encourage limiting saturated fat to around 16-20 grams per day. Three cups of whole milk would provide about 15 grams of saturated fat, leaving very little for the butter on your toast, your hard-boiled egg or a bakery muffin. 

The guidelines go further to specifically encourage the use of beef tallow, coconut oil and butter.  This casual approach to possibly increasing saturated fat intake has alarmed many nutrition researchers, who point to years of well-designed research showing that higher saturated fat intake can increase heart disease risk. But, again, refer to the limits in the previous paragraph. Consuming some saturated fat is OK! 

The final bit on fat: other healthy fats are important and should come from whole food sources — including nuts, seeds, avocados, olives and fatty fish. 

Eat plenty of a variety of vegetables and fruits every day — not new, not controversial and probably what you are already trying to do. Fresh, frozen and canned are all valuable for health. 

Choose whole grains over refined grains whenever possible. This is also not controversial and has been recommended for years. The old pyramid had grains on the bottom as the foundation of the pyramid. Now, they are still at the bottom but reflect a recommended smaller proportion of the total calories and carbohydrates in the diet. 

One of the biggest shifts in the new guidelines and perhaps one that will take the most effort to change, relates to what are known as highly processed or ultra-processed foods. This recommendation comes from an ever-increasing body of research showing poorer health, including cardiovascular disease, strokes and diabetes, are associated with consumption of ultra-processed food. 

So, what are ultra-processed foods? Think fries, chicken nuggets, hot dogs, ready-to-eat breakfast cereal, cheese doodles, commercially processed pizza and dinners and soft drinks. These foods are made from ingredients extracted from other foods, including colors and preservatives. Each serving is estimated to raise cardiovascular disease risk. 

The National Institutes of Health estimates that 70% of the U.S. diet comes from ultra-processed foods with children eating the most highly processed packaged, prepared, and ready-to-eat foods. Consuming these foods usually means eating poor-quality fats, too much sugar, too much sodium and very little fiber. It is unclear which of these factors contributes most to disease. It may be all of them combined. But, just like all the other changes we need to make, take these one step at a time. Aim for most of the time, but not all the time. 

The final challenge in the new guidelines specifically advises consuming as little added sugar as possible. This is not entirely new, but a call out to parents – they recommend NO foods with added sugar for children. In the past, we have thought that less than 1 teaspoon of sugar (4-5 grams) in a serving was acceptable. The current guidelines propose no sugar. Get rid of my cookie jar and candy dish? Yikes! 

As a dietitian and nutritionist, I have plenty of ideas for incorporating the newest dietary guidance into practice. Most of it, especially the last part, means making more time for preparing food at home and planning is always the answer. Now, if only I had time to plan … 

For more information about these changes, I welcome your calls and emails. And, take a look at the following website https://cdn.realfood.gov/DGA.pdf.

Leslie Shallcross is a registered dietitian and the Tanana District health, home and family development agent for Cooperative Extension Service, a part of the University of Alaska Fairbanks, working in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She can be reached at 907-474-2426 or lashallcross@alaska.edu.