Trump administration advises more protein, less sugar in new dietary guidelines

By Leah Douglas

WASHINGTON, Jan 7 (Reuters) – The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced a new slate of dietary guidelines that recommends Americans eat more protein and less sugar than previously advised and that consumers avoid highly processed foods to achieve a healthy diet.

The guidelines are the latest product of the Trump administration’s “Make America Healthy Again” agenda, named for the social movement that backs Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. He and other officials, including Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, have implemented MAHA policy goals such as curbing childhood vaccines and restricting access to unhealthy foods for people receiving food stamps.

Kennedy and Rollins had pledged to simplify the guidelines and remove what they described as the undue influence of food companies over their recommendations.

The guidelines are published every five years by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture. 

The new guidelines implement some changes promised by Kennedy, like strongly dissuading the consumption of highly processed foods and added sugar. Kennedy and his MAHA supporters have pointed to high consumption of sugar and processed foods in the American diet as contributors to rising rates of chronic disease.

“Today, our government declares war on added sugar,” Kennedy said at a White House press briefing.

Recommendations for prioritizing fruits, vegetables and whole grains and capping intake of saturated fat at 10% of daily calories, remain the same.

Kennedy said adherence to the guidelines would lower the cost of healthcare. Healthcare affordability is a key issue for Republicans heading into the 2026 midterm elections.

“The new guidelines recognize that whole nutrient-dense food is the most effective path to better health and lower healthcare costs,” Kennedy said. 

The administration’s MAHA Commission, led by Kennedy, said in a September strategy report that the USDA and HHS plan to reform the process for developing future dietary guidelines, including the structure and members of its advisory committee, which makes recommendations on the contents. 

Some advocacy groups have criticized the advisory committee for being overly influenced by the food industry. The committee that advised on this year’s dietary guidelines was appointed by the administration of President Joe Biden.

MORE PROTEIN, LESS SUGAR

The dietary guidelines form the basis of federal nutrition programs for school meals consumed by nearly 30 million children, and inform medical advice and national disease prevention efforts.

This iteration recommends adults eat 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, up from the prior recommended daily consumption of 0.8 grams. 

It also encourages the consumption of full-fat dairy, a shift from decades-old guidance to opt for lower-fat dairy products to mitigate the health risks of high-fat diets. Dairy groups have argued that farmers are disadvantaged by policy that advises against consumption of full-fat dairy products.

The guidelines omit a longstanding recommendation that adults limit alcohol consumption to one or two drinks per day, instead offering only that adults should “consume less alcohol for better overall health.”

A White House official said they reflect sound science and will support better public health outcomes as they are implemented.

“The American Medical Association applauds the administration’s new Dietary Guidelines for spotlighting the highly processed foods, sugar-sweetened beverages, and excess sodium that fuel heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and other chronic illnesses,” Bobby Mukkamala, the group’s president, said in a statement.

The School Nutrition Association said school meals already include fruits, vegetables and other healthy foods in accordance with federal guidelines and that they need more funding and training to further expand from-scratch cooking.

AVOID HIGHLY PROCESSED FOODS

The guidelines say “no amount of added sugars or non-nutritive sweeteners is recommended or considered part of a healthy or nutritious diet” and that if consumed, added sugars should not exceed 10 grams per meal. 

Prior guidelines granted that a small amount of sugars could be added to healthier foods to help meet dietary recommendations, without exceeding 10% of daily calories.

Highly processed foods and foods and drinks with artificial flavors, low-calorie sweeteners and dyes should be avoided, the new guidelines say. Some food companies are removing artificial ingredients in alignment with the administration’s priorities.

Soda makers like Coca-Cola and PepsiCo, and Mondelez, which manufactures Oreo cookies, have faced scrutiny from Kennedy. Major European-headquartered food producers Nestle and Danone are also exposed to changes pushed by Kennedy.

The American Beverage Association, which represents soda and other beverage makers, said in a statement that nearly 60% of beverages sold in the U.S. contain no sugar and that dissuading consumption of sugar-free beverages is “impractical and inherently contradictory.”

The guidelines do not address ultra-processed foods, the definition of which is hotly debated by the food industry. The HHS and USDA have said they are developing a federal definition for ultra-processed foods.

Scientists from around the world have warned that ultra-processed foods, which often include additives and industrial ingredients, are associated with poorer health outcomes such as type 2 diabetes and obesity.

(Reporting by Leah Douglas in Washington; additional reporting by Jessica DiNapoli in New YorkEditing by Bill Berkrot)