The new dietary guidelines have turned the familiar food pyramid on its head, putting meat, dairy and fresh produce at top. But in this pyramid, the “top” means what consumers should eat most of.
During a Jan. 7 press call, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, together with others, announced the release of the new 2025-2030 dietary guidelines.
“At long last, we are realigning our food system to support American farmers, ranchers and companies that grow and produce real food,” said Rollins in a prepared statement that accompanied the call. “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.”
Much of the press call focused on what the officials called the health crisis in America today, framing the new dietary guidelines as a solution.
“Diets rich in vegetables and fruits reduce disease risk more effectively than many drugs,” said Kennedy at the press call. He and others stressed the need for “whole, nutrient-dense food.”
For produce, the new dietary guidelines recommend three servings of vegetables and two servings of fruit per day. Like past editions of the dietary guidelines, the new guidelines recommend Americans eat “a variety of colorful, nutrient-dense vegetables and fruits” and advises whole produce items be eaten “in their original form.” Though not explicitly stated, this seems to mean fresh produce, as the guide later calls out “frozen, dried or canned vegetables or fruits with no or very limited added sugars” as also good options.
Produce also got a shout out in the guide’s discussion of maintaining a well-balanced gut microbiome.
“Highly processed foods can disrupt this balance, while vegetables, fruits, fermented foods (e.g., sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, miso), and high-fiber foods support a diverse microbiome, which may be beneficial for health,” the guide reads.
Praise for putting produce at the top of the pyramid
Produce groups praised the new guidelines for its produce-forward message.
“Today’s Dietary Guidelines reinforce the critical role fruits and vegetables play in overall health,” says Mollie Van Lieu, International Fresh Produce Association vice president of nutrition and health, in the group’s response. “Scientific evidence consistently shows that fruits and vegetables should make up the majority of what people eat. The administration’s focus on whole foods is an opportunity to increase fruit and vegetable intake, as they are the most nutrient-dense foods available.”
Jim Bair, president and CEO of the U.S. Apple Association also voiced his group’s appreciation of the new guidelines. He noted, however, that only about one in 10 meets the produce consumption goals it outlines.
“The Dietary Guidelines may evolve, but they continue to reaffirm a simple truth: Americans need to eat more fruits and vegetables,” he says. “We look forward to seeing that message shared widely.”
SNAP implications of the new guidelines
Both Rollins and Kennedy repeatedly highlighted the importance of the dietary guidelines on federally-funded food programs such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program; Women, Infants, and Children; the public school lunch program; as well as the military and prison meal systems.
“Today begins the work of aligning those programs with affordable, whole, nutrient-dense food,” Kennedy said.
“These dietary guidelines are foundational to so many USDA programs, and their introduction marks the first step in connecting America’s schools and dinner plates to the best of American agriculture,” Rollins added.
Throughout the press call, several officials framed SNAP in negative terms. In her introduction of the press call, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt counted 18 states putting limitations on what food can be purchased with SNAP money, often called SNAP waivers, among the administration’s health wins. Kennedy said: “42 million Americans rely on SNAP for common purchases that include sugary drinks, candy and chips,” while Rollins described it among various federal incentives of “low-quality, highly processed foods and pharmaceutical interventions.”
However, recent industry research suggests a different relationship between those using SNAP/WIC and fresh produce-buying trends.
For example, the Hass Avocado Board found that avocados drove larger, more valuable baskets with a greater diversity of produce purchases among SNAP/WIC households compared with non-SNAP/WIC households. Similarly, IFPA and Circana data shows SNAP buyers held steady with their fresh fruit purchases even in the face of SNAP cuts in the previously-titled “One Big Beautiful Bill Act.”
Rollins teases plan to expand real food retail accessibility
In the context of SNAP, Rollins mentioned upcoming changes at retail that she said would increase the accessibility of whole, healthy foods to those in food deserts.
“Soon, USDA will finalize our stocking standards,” she said, explaining that retailers that take SNAP benefits are bound by the stocking standards.
“Very soon we will be finalizing that rule that will mandate all 250,000 retailers in America to double the type of staple foods that they provide for America’s SNAP households,” Rollins said. “This means healthier options will be in reach for all American families, regardless of circumstance, at levels never seen before in our country.”
She did not give a timeline on when that rule would be finalized. However, during the question and answer portion of the press call, she specified that the new stocking standard would require retailers that accept SNAP to double their stocking of healthier foods.
“We have a longer term important policy priority, and that is getting grocery stores into these lower margin communities,” Rollins said. “But for now, requiring those retailers, those 250,000 retailers across America, to double their stocking of healthier foods, that will allow us to immediately get these better foods into all communities, but especially the most vulnerable.”
