On Nutrition: The food pyramid

Barbara Intermill, Tribune News Service on Jan 16, 2026

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

The 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans have been announced … and there are some surprises.

What’s changed in these updated recommendations for how Americans should eat? For one, the previous document from five years ago was a whopping 164 pages. Our current document has been simplified to a mere 10 pages.

Another big change: The food pyramid (which was retired in 2011 in favor of the more practical MyPlate icon) has made an interesting comeback. And it literally has been turned on its head.

Foods of highest priority in this newest recommended eating plan include high-quality proteins from both animal and plant sources, a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables, dairy foods, healthy fats, and whole grains. There are enhanced warnings to limit our intake of highly processed foods, added sugars and refined carbohydrates.

What’s the basis for these guidelines? The process is the same every five years. First, two government departments, Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, convene a special committee of nutrition and health experts from around the country.

Their job? To review the most recent scientific research in the field of nutrition and health and then produce a report on which the guidelines for healthful eating can be based. This 421-page report was published in 2025 and from it has come the current 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Parts of these new guidelines have already become controversial. Why? The science of nutrition has many variables and the interpretation of research studies is not always clear cut.

For example, some new evidence has shown that full-fat dairy foods may not affect the risk for heart disease any different than low-fat versions of dairy foods. These updated guidelines include both forms as part of a healthful eating pattern.

Yet if you look closely, the recommendation for us to limit our intake of saturated fats to not more than 10% of our total daily calories has not changed from the previous guidelines. One way to meet this goal, according to the newest report, is to cut back on highly processed foods that often contain excess amounts of saturated fats.

Perhaps the biggest message in the latest guideline is for us to focus on “real” food — that which is as close to possible to its original form. That includes fresh produce, poultry, eggs, fish, meat and dairy foods.

Yes, more high-quality research is still needed to answer many unanswered questions about our diet and health. Yet the goal — to “shift our food system away from chronic disease and toward nutrient density, nourishment, resilience, and long-term health” — is still admirable. Let’s see how we do