At Wednesday's White House Press Briefing, Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Brooke Rollins joined White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt to unveil the "Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030." Touted as "a national reset built on real food," Kennedy and Rollins spent the lion's share of the briefing outlining the reasons behind the change and how it will be implemented.
From the HHS press release:
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins today released the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030, marking the most significant reset of federal nutrition policy in decades. The new Guidelines deliver a clear, common-sense message to the American people: eat real food.
The U.S. faces a national health emergency. Nearly 90% of health care spending goes toward treating chronic disease, much of it linked to diet and lifestyle. More than 70% of American adults are overweight or obese, and nearly 1 in 3 adolescents has prediabetes. Diet-driven chronic disease now disqualifies many young Americans from military service, threatening national readiness and limiting opportunity.
“These Guidelines return us to the basics,” Secretary Kennedy said. “American households must prioritize whole, nutrient-dense foods—protein, dairy, vegetables, fruits, healthy fats, and whole grains—and dramatically reduce highly processed foods. This is how we Make America Healthy Again.”
Leavitt, Kennedy, and Rollins were joined by Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator for the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS), Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Administrator Dr. Marty Makary, and Dr. Ben Carson, who serves as the National Nutrition Adviser to HHS. Dr. Carson served in the first Trump administration as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
HHS has also launched a very cool website, which outlines the details along with the whys and the hows of the Guidelines launch.
Leavitt introduced Kennedy, who described the coordination across the government to see this come about. Kennedy described the new Guidelines as "the most significant reset of federal nutrition policy in history."
.@SecKennedy says the release of the new federal nutrition guidelines is "the most significant reset of federal nutrition policy in history."
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 7, 2026
"These guidelines replace corporate-driven assumptions with common sense goals and Gold Standard scientific integrity." https://t.co/H6AFcSGGsz pic.twitter.com/nMMsjfQPfL
Eat real food. Nothing matters more for healthcare outcomes, economic productivity, military readiness and fiscal responsibility.
I'm old enough to remember the 2011 "My Plate" launch by President Barack Obama's USDA. It was meant to partner with First Lady Michelle Obama's 2010 "Let's Move" campaign, which was supposed to combat childhood obesity. Unlike the Trump cabinet, there didn't appear to be much coordination or partnership at all, which probably contributed to its failure. Obama's campaign also focused on movement and counting calories over real food and sound dietary guidance. So, not only was the appearance of the food unappetizing and sad, but nutritionally unsuitable. Students actually took to Twitter (now X) to post the meager offerings and to complain that they were hungry.
The 2025-2030 Guidelines appear much more robust and realistic, and may just have the sticking power needed to Make Americans Healthy Again. Time will tell.
Kennedy and FDA administrator Makary emphasized that its aim is neither conformity nor bowing to fad science, but to emphasize and educate on the importance of reestablishing food, not pharmaceuticals, as the foundation for health. Makary also talked about the reclamation of the food pyramid as a tool for nourishment and education.
Note in the images below that the pyramid is simply inverted with greater emphasis on protein and whole fats.
Makary further said:
For decades, we've been fed a corrupt food pyramid that has had a myopic focus on demonizing natural healthy saturated fats: telling you not to eat eggs and steak. And ignoring a giant blind spot: refined, carbohydrates, added sugars, ultra-processed food.
EAT REAL FOOD https://t.co/H6AFcSGGsz pic.twitter.com/7E9Xz2vkd0
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 7, 2026
Read More: Blue States Busted for Blowing Nearly Half a Billion in SNAP Cash on Fast Food
USDA Secretary Rollins said:
Thanks to the bold leadership of President Trump, this edition of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans will reset federal nutrition policy, putting our families and children first as we move towards a healthier nation. 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 also outlined how the federal dietary guidelines are the foundation for every federal program. Not just school lunch programs, but WIC and Headstart, VA and for-profit hospitals, senior centers and assisted living facilities that receive federal funding, and most pivotal, the military and prisons. All are adhering to the current federal guidelines that have only made Americans sick. Imagine the changes that could occur for children and prisoners using food as a curative agent.
Today marks the first step in making sure school meals, military and veteran meals, and other child and adult nutrition programs promote affordable, whole, healthy, nutrient-dense foods, Rollins concluded.
WATCH:
.@SecRollins: "For decades, under both Republicans and Democrats, federal incentives have promoted low quality, highly-processed foods, and pharmaceutical interventions instead of prevention. As a result, nutrient-dense, whole foods, grown by America's farmers have been… https://t.co/H6AFcSGGsz pic.twitter.com/bla120GO8N
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) January 7, 2026
As a result, nutrient-dense, whole foods, grown by America's farmers have been increasingly displaced. The Trump Administration is acutely aware of this danger, and today, this announcement is making a major step in doing something about it.
Another hallmark of the Guidelines: they provide opportunities for customization, offering tailored recommendations for infants and children, adolescents, pregnant and lactating women, seniors, individuals with chronic disease, and alternative diets like vegetarianism and veganism.
The Guidelines emphasize simple, flexible guidance rooted in modern 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
CMS administrator Oz's remarks were brief, focusing on the reduction of the price of drugs and how healthy persons can contribute to the GDP of the nation. Even though the administration has touted a reduction in costs for weight-loss medications like Ozempic and Wegovy, Oz made the fine point: "The best way to reduce drug spending in America is to not need the drug in the first place."
Makary concluded the press conference with this declaration.
We are going to finally address the root causes of our broken healthcare system: insulin resistance and general body inflammation advanced by the protein-poor, micronutrient-poor, ultra-processed refined carbohydrate diet kids are addicted to today.
Food can be curative. We've got to talk about the microbiome, and fiber, and healthy whole grains and the good soil that food comes from, and the healthy clean waters, and good farming techniques; so, that's the focus of this Guidance.
This is an historic day in America.
Editor's Note: The mainstream media continues to deflect, gaslight, spin, and lie about President Trump, his administration, and conservatives.
Help us continue to expose their left-wing bias by reading news you can trust. Join RedState VIP and use promo code FIGHT to get 60% off your membership.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member