The U.S. departments of Health and Human Services and Agriculture released the 2025-30 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, signaling a shift in federal nutrition policy toward whole, nutrient-dense foods and away from highly processed foods.
The guidelines underscore simple, flexible guidance rooted in nutrition science:
- Prioritize protein at every meal
- Consume full-fat dairy with no added sugars
- Eat vegetables and fruits throughout the day, focusing on whole forms
- Incorporate healthy fats from whole foods such as meats, seafood, eggs, nuts, seeds, olives and avocados
- Focus on whole grains, while sharply reducing refined carbohydrates
- Limit highly processed foods, added sugars and artificial additives
- Eat the right amount for you, based on age, sex, size and activity level
- Choose water and unsweetened beverages to support hydration
- Limit alcohol consumption for better overall health
The guidelines also provide tailored recommendations for infants and children, adolescents, pregnant and lactating women, older adults, individuals with chronic disease, and vegetarians and vegans, ensuring nutritional adequacy across every stage of life.
Agriculture groups welcomed the changes.
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) appreciate that the new guidelines nearly double the recommended daily amount for protein intake, increasing it to 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilogram bodyweight, depending on your age group and individual caloric needs, and prioritizing protein at every meal. Red meat is specifically mentioned as a healthy source of protein in a varied, balanced diet.
The National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) and the International Dairy Foods Association (IDFA) praise the guidelines for affirming dairy’s role as a key source of protein, vitamins and minerals, and for moving beyond earlier guidance that favored only low-fat or fat-free options.
“The new dietary guidelines send a clear and powerful message to Americans: Dairy foods belong at the center of a healthy diet,” says Michael Dykes, DVM, president and CEO of IDFA.
The report affirms dairy products’ central role in the American diet through its continued recommendation that Americans consume three servings of dairy each day, and in recommending the consumption of whole and full-fat dairy products such as whole milk, yogurt, cheese and other dairy products.
“We welcome the potential these guidelines hold for expanding upon dairy’s critical role in the diet,” says NMPF President and CEO Gregg Doud.
Both NMPF and IDFA look forward to ensuring the new dietary recommendations regarding dairy at all fat levels are reflected in federal nutrition programs like school meals; Women, Infants and Children (WIC); and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) dairy incentives.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins notes the critical role U.S. farmers and ranchers will play in supporting these guidelines.
“At long last, we are realigning our food system to support American farmers, ranchers and companies that grow and produce real food. Farmers and ranchers are at the forefront of the solution, and that means more protein, dairy, vegetables, fruits, healthy fats and whole grains on American dinner tables,” Rollins says.
Heidi Fischer, president of Edge Dairy Farmer Cooperative, adds, “We’re encouraged to see fuller fat dairy products prioritized in these new guidelines, and as farmers, we’re eager to be part of the solution in making America healthy again through the consumption of real food.”
