Updated 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans emphasize consumption of “real foods”

On January 7, 2025, the US Departments of Health and Human Services and Agriculture released the long-awaited 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs or Guidelines), marking “the most significant reset of federal nutrition policy in our nation’s history,” according to the release.

The updated Guidelines emphasize diets built on whole, nutrient-dense foods, with reductions in highly processed foods. DGAs serve as the foundation for federal nutrition programs and policies, shaping school meals, public health initiatives, industry standards, and more. These revised DGAs vary from the 2020–2025 version, as well as from the December 2024 Scientific Report of the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, in key ways discussed below.

A shift toward real food and away from highly processed products

The document states that the “United States is amid a health emergency,” with respect to “diet-driven chronic diseases.” Consequently, the 2025–2030 DGAs significantly differ from previous editions, signaling a reset toward the basics. They prioritize real, whole, nutrient-dense foods that are minimally processed. According to the Guidelines, “real” foods are those “prepared with few ingredients and without added sugars, industrial oils, artificial flavors, or preservatives.” This marks a notable shift away from “highly processed” products, which are described as foods “laden with refined carbohydrates, added sugars, excess sodium, unhealthy fats, and chemical additives” and currently account for about 70 percent of the US food supply.

The DGAs include an inverted pyramid that prioritizes proteins, dairy, and healthy fats, as well as vegetables and fruits, placing whole grains at the bottom. This is a significant departure from the previous MyPlate graphic, which served as visual reminder to eat a variety of foods in key categories as part of a healthy diet. Moreover, in contrast to the revised version’s call to avoid highly processed foods, the Scientific Report of the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee had identified “ultra-processed foods” only as an emerging area needing study and a term requiring further definition.

Key DGA recommendations

• High-quality, nutrient-dense protein: Americans are advised to prioritize “high-quality, nutrient-dense” protein at every meal, with recommended intake increased to 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight. Both animal (eggs, poultry, seafood, red meat) and plant-based (beans, lentils, legumes, nuts, seeds, soy) sources are encouraged. According to the document, cooking methods should favor baking, broiling, roasting, stir-frying, or grilling over deep-frying. Meat should be consumed with minimal added sugars, refined carbohydrates, or chemical additives.
  
  
• Full-fat dairy: The Guidelines recommend three servings of dairy per day for a 2,000-calorie diet and include full-fat dairy with no added sugars. Dairy is highlighted as a source of protein, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals. The prior version generally recommended fat-free or low-fat dairy, as well as fortified dairy alternatives, such as soy.
  
  
• Abundant fruits and vegetables: Americans are encouraged to eat a variety of colorful, nutrient-dense vegetables and fruits, favoring whole forms – including frozen, dried, or canned fruits and vegetables with no or very limited added sugars. The Guidelines recommend limiting consumption of fruit and vegetable juices or diluting them with water. Serving goals are set at three servings of vegetables and two servings of fruit per day.
  
  
• Healthy fats: The DGAs recommend healthy fats from nuts, seeds, seafood, meat, eggs, olives, and avocados. Olive oil, butter, and beef tallow are suggested as preferred cooking fats. Saturated fat intake should remain below 10 percent of daily calories, consistent with the previous Guidelines, but the Guidelines now recognize whole-food sources – such as red meat, butter, and beef tallow – as acceptable options.
  
  
• Whole grains: The Guidelines encourage fiber-rich whole grains, while significantly reducing highly processed, refined carbohydrates, such as white bread, packaged breakfast foods, flour tortillas, and crackers. Recommended intake is two to four servings of whole grains per day.

Foods to limit, per the DGAs

The DGAs advise limiting intake of highly processed foods, refined carbohydrates, and added sugars or non-nutritive sweeteners entirely.

• Highly processed foods: While FDA and USDA are currently reviewing comments to the Request for Information on the definition of “ultra-processed foods,” the Guidelines proceed with a recommendation to significantly limit “highly” processed foods. The DGAs state that highly processed food can disrupt the microbiome that supports healthy digestion. Specifically, the Guidelines strongly advise avoiding packaged and ready-to-eat foods that are high in added sugars and sodium. They also recommend limiting foods and beverages containing artificial flavors, dyes, preservatives, and low-calorie non-nutritive sweeteners. Home-prepared meals are preferred, and the document recommends selecting nutrient-dense options even when dining out. The previous version of the DGAs only discussed limiting processed meats.
  
  
• Added sugars and sweeteners: The DGAs state that added sugars and non-nutritive sweeteners are not considered part of a healthy diet. If added sugars are consumed, intake should not exceed ten grams per meal. The Guidelines provide detailed advice on identifying added sugars in ingredient lists. The limitations on sugar intake are consistent with the previous version of the Guidelines.
  
  
• Alcohol: The DGAs continue to stress moderation, with a strong recommendation to minimize alcohol consumption for better overall health. Certain populations – including pregnant women and those with a history of, or vulnerability to, alcohol use disorder – are encouraged to avoid alcohol entirely. The revised Guidelines do not restate the 2020–2025 numeric daily limits.

Special populations and considerations

The Guidelines provide tailored recommendations for specific groups, including infants, children, adolescents, pregnant and lactating women, older adults, individuals with chronic diseases, and those following vegetarian or vegan diets. For example, the document states that infants should be breastfed exclusively for the first six months, with nutrient-dense complementary foods introduced thereafter. When formulas are used, only iron-fortified infant formulas are recommended. Adolescents and older adults are advised to prioritize nutrient-dense foods to support growth, bone health, and healthy aging. Vegetarians and vegans are encouraged to monitor potential nutrient gaps and consider targeted supplementation as needed.

Impact on industry

The 2025–2030 DGAs continue to emphasize the concerns raised by the Make America Healthy Again initiative. They represent a decisive move toward real food and away from highly processed products, with the goal of reversing the nation’s chronic disease trends and improving overall health. The Guidelines call on stakeholders from across the food system to help “every American…eat more real food.”

The food industry should consider the impacts on:

• Product development and reformulation, as well as the need to maintain substantiation and evidence that supports a determination of the nutritional impact of ingredients used, as federal and state restrictions are imposed and as consumers trend toward real food choices
  
  
• Claims made in labeling and marketing, both to enhance nutritional aspects of products and to help mitigate risks around regulatory enforcement, investigations, and litigation for aspects under scrutiny
  
  
• Policy development at the federal and state levels, including efforts to define “ultra-processed foods,” as well as to restrict, disclose, and warn against foods and ingredients
  
  
• Litigation risk as plaintiffs’ attorneys use the statements and recommendations in the DGAs as continued support in the rising numbers of class action and product liability lawsuits.

Companies are encouraged to proactively provide substantiation and scientific evidence to support research and development efforts that deliver nutritious, healthy options to the public – particularly those that may face scrutiny from regulators or plaintiffs’ attorneys. See DLA Piper’s December 2025 webinar on “Navigating the legal landscape of ultra-processed foods” for more information on this evolving topic.

For further details or to discuss how these changes may impact your business, please contact the authors.