BEEF

New Dietary Guidelines Move Food Pyramid Closer to the Farm

Wed, 07 Jan 2026 20:43:25 GMT

The White House delivered a simple but clear message to Americans today: Eat real food.

“We are finally putting real food back at the center of the American diet. Real food that nourishes the body, restores health, fuels energy and builds strength,” says Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins. “This pivot also leans into the abundant, affordable and healthy food supply already available from America’s incredible farmers and ranchers. By making milk, raising cattle and growing wholesome fruits, vegetables and grains, they hold the key to solving our national health crisis.”

In the “most significant reset of federal nutrition policy in decades,” the White House released the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025–2030 . The updated pyramid inverts the 1992 USDA version by prioritizing:

Protein (1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight per day, an increase from 0.8 grams)
Dairy and healthy fats as the foundation
Vegetables (3 servings per day)
Fruits (2 servings per day)

Unlike the old pyramid’s grain-heavy base and processed carbs, new recommendations limit whole grains to 2 to 4 servings per day and added sugars and highly processed oils should be avoided entirely.

Eat More Protein

Rollins says the previous dietary guidelines demonized protein in favor of carbohydrates.

“These guidelines reflect gold standard science by prioritizing high-quality, nutrient-dense protein foods in every meal,” Rollins says. “This includes a variety of animal sources, including eggs, poultry, seafood, and red meat, in addition to plant-sourced protein foods such as beans, peas, lentils, legumes, nuts, seeds and soy.”

To put the new protein recommendations into perspective, Sigrid Johannes, executive director of government affairs for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, says for folks who should be consuming 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight that’s a 100% increase in recommended daily protein intake.

Dairy’s Seat at the Table

Dairy emerged in a strong position under the new dietary guidelines, with federal nutrition guidance supporting dairy at all fat levels for the first time.

“One of the key messages they’re telling consumers is eat dairy and eat dairy at all fat levels — that’s whole milk, cheese and butter,” says Matt Herrick of the International Dairy Foods Association. He calls it “a significant watershed moment,” reflecting how many families currently eat and shop today.

Echoing Herrick’s perspective, National Milk Producers Federation President and CEO Gregg Doud adds by better recognizing both fat and protein, the guidelines give a fuller picture of dairy’s nutritional value.

“Not all fats are created equal, and because the guidelines acknowledge this, dairy’s benefits are better reflected in this iteration of the guidelines,” Doud says.

When it comes to protein, consumer demand is reshaping the category, with cottage cheese at its highest level since the 1980s because of the high-protein trend, Herrick notes.

“Consumers are looking at labels more than ever and trying to find cleaner, less processed foods. Dairy fits that bill. Most products have just a handful of ingredients, and they’re all high in protein. People are turning to protein for growth, energy and overall health, and we’re going to continue to see consumers look to dairy to fulfill their protein and healthy fats needs,” Herrick says.

The processing sector has grown alongside the rising demand for dairy, reflecting both increased production and changing consumer preferences. Roughly $8 billion has been invested in new processing facilities from 2022 to 2025, with another $11 billion expected through 2028.

“We’re going to continue to see investments in processing facilities — new plants, updated lines and more capacity — to meet growing consumer demand for dairy protein and healthy fats,” Herrick notes.

Eat More Meat and Poultry

When it comes to meat and poultry, Julie Anna Potts, Meat Institute President and CEO, says Secretary Rollins and Secretary Kennedy’s leadership have simplified the dietary guidelines making it clear meat is a protein powerhouse.

“Robust scientific evidence demonstrates that meat is a rich source of high-quality protein, essential vitamins and highly bioavailable minerals that support human health throughout the lifespan,” Potts says.

Kansas beef producer Marisa Kleysteuber describes the new “commonsense” dietary guidelines as “exciting and refreshing.”

“As beef producers we are blessed to work with a ruminant animal that can utilize Mother Nature’s production of cellulose from rain and sunshine and then convert it to one of the most nutrient rich proteins there is,” she says. “Whether the consumer is desiring an organic, grass fed or corn fed beef product, there are cattlemen and women all over the U.S. who put their heart into raising these cattle to produce a nutritious and delicious product that we have always believed in and now our leaders are standing behind the ranchers and farmers of America.”

Quintessentially American foods such as burgers, steaks, pork chops and Easter hams can remain a staple of American households, and the guidelines go so far as to recommend parents introduce nutrient-dense foods, including meat, early and continue focusing on “nutrient-dense foods such as protein foods” throughout childhood.

“America’s pork producers appreciate the 2025 dietary guidelines putting pork front and center on the plate. They took note of producer concerns and rightly gave pork and other high-protein, nutrient-dense and delicious meats their due when it comes to Americans’ health and dietary habits,” says Rob Brenneman , National Pork Producers Council president-elect and pork producer from Washington, Iowa.

Maddie Hokanson , a Minnesota pork producer and mother of two, says the new dietary guidelines’ strong emphasis on protein is a positive for the pork industry. She believes the new guidelines, paired with pork’s quality nutrition and versatility, bring together the perfect opportunity to increase pork consumption and demand in the U.S.

“As pig farmers, we are proud to produce a meat product that is packed with high-quality protein, while also being nutrient-dense with many essential vitamins and minerals,” Hokanson says. “As a parent to young children, I see both the physical and cognitive benefits of prioritizing protein in the diet at all ages, and I’m excited to see what the short- and long-term effects of this recommendation will be.”

Three Servings of Veggies and Two Servings of Fruit

Dairy and meat weren’t the only items at the top of the new dietary pyramid. Fresh fruits and vegetables were also given top billing.

“Diets rich in vegetables and fruits reduce disease risk more effectively than many drugs,” says Robert F Kennedy Jr., Secretary of Health.

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, the updated guidelines also call out “frozen, dried, or canned vegetables or fruits with no or very limited added sugars” as good options.

“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.”

Rollins Teases Plan to Expand Real Food Retail Accessibility

There was more than the new dietary guidelines announced at the press event. Rollins mentioned upcoming changes at retail she says would increase the accessibility of whole, healthy foods to those in food deserts.

“Soon, USDA will finalize our stocking standards,” she says, explaining 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 they provide for America’s SNAP households. This means healthier options will be in reach for all American families, regardless of circumstance, at levels never seen before in our country.”

Grains and Oilseed Industry Focuses on Positives

In terms of grains, in its guidance USDA recommends Americans “focus on whole grains, while sharply reducing refined carbohydrates.” The National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG) shared mixed reactions to the changes.

“We appreciate the continued recognition of whole grains as an essential part of Americans’ diets,” said a spokesperson with NAWG in a statement to Farm Journal. “However, we are concerned that some portions of the new guidelines around grains and wheat are unintentionally confusing. Wheat, wheat flour, and foods made from wheat have been nutrient-rich, life-sustaining staples for tens of thousands of years and deserve clear, continued support as a central part of our nation’s diet.”

The American Soybean Association (ASA) focuses on the positives saying it highlights the importance of increased protein consumption, including plant-based proteins, such as soy-based foods. They also emphasize prioritizing healthy fats, including oils rich in essential fatty acids like soybean oil.

ASA says an addendum continues to call into question the process of soybean oil extraction, which it says is scientifically proven to be safe for human health.

“Soybean oil and soy protein play a critical role in the health and nutrition of Americans,” says Scott Metzger, ASA president and Ohio farmer, in a press release. “We remain deeply concerned by the rhetoric and selectively cited studies regarding the health and safety of soybean oil in DGA supporting material.”

Metzger says soybean growers will continue to work with the administration and educate MAHA commission leadership on the health benefits of soy-based foods and soybean oil.

The National Oilseed Processors Association (NOPA) echoed those concern: “Vegetable oils, or “seed oils” as they’re sometimes referred to, are a significant provider of essential fatty acids and remain a safe and cost-effective source of dietary fats in the American diet, as they are globally,” said a NOPA press release. “However, some appendices rely on a narrow evidence base with limited citations, which is concerning given the administration’s rhetoric questioning the safety of certain vegetable oils despite an established scientific consensus.”

NOPA also argues oilseeds support the production of affordable meat, dairy and eggs as meal produced from oilseeds are a key component of livestock diets.

When the Title Match is Big Ag vs. Hobby Farms, PETA Wins, Page 2

Fri, 20 Nov 2020 05:49:48 GMT

On the other hand, there are those of us (cough, me) who relish the ability to eat strawberries, green beans, ice cream and bacon year-round, courtesy of the local Wal-Mart. I appreciate the availability of easy access to all foods, year-round due to our robust and complex U.S. food system, which includes trade with other agriculture-rich countries. Except rhubarb, I can never find that stuff out of season.

Incidentally, many of us are commodity producers AND hobby farmers/ranchers. How so? I’ll use my husband and myself as examples to highlight how labeling each other does no good.

We operate a seedstock Gelbvieh and Balancer ranch and our herd, according to the 2017 Ag Census, is larger than the national average. However, we are small according to other size measurements such as number of employees and acres owned, plus we both have full-time, non-ranch employment. So, technically we could be classified as hobby ranchers since it’s not our main income. However, when we have bulls that don’t make the seedstock cut (technically, they are getting “the cut”), they are marketed through the commodity beef supply via auction market, backgrounder and feedyard; which technically makes us part of “big beef.” How many labels can be thrown on one farmer or rancher before things get tedious and confusing?

The gist of the issue is that when we label things — people, food, industries, etc. — we lose focus of the main goal, which should be to produce healthy food in an ethical, profitable and sustainable way. That’s the big picture, and all farmers and ranchers — small and large — are fully capable of achieving that goal. Honestly, we’d probably all reach the goal more quickly if we’d work together instead of hurling insults at each other. The world needs all kind of farmers and ranchers, of all sizes, shapes and backgrounds, to fulfill our food needs.

Does anyone else feel like labels are further segregating us while PETA just watches, licking their vegetables? As we tear each other down, we weaken the ag sector and make ourselves tremendously vulnerable to outside perils. I can confidently say that what qualifies as a large farm or small farm should be of no consequence and we ought to be eyeballing a very real threat - one that presents itself in the shape of a hockey puck and is made of pea protein.

Brandi Buzzard Frobose is a rancher, ranch wife, mama, agriculture advocate, calf roper and the director of communications for the Red Angus Association of America.

Related articles

A Timeline of the Fair Oaks Farms Investigation

Undercover Video Shows Abuse At Fair Oaks Farms

Fair Oaks Targeted: Could It Happen to You?

CattleTrace Holds First Industry Symposium

Fri, 23 Sep 2022 21:19:02 GMT

CattleTrace, the industry-driven initiative to build a disease traceability system for the beef industry, has expanded to multiple states. That was one of the messages more than 200 industry leaders from across the nation discovered at the first CattleTrace Industry Symposium held Nov. 22, 2019, in Manhattan, Kan.

The symposium provided opportunities for CattleTrace partners and other stakeholders to discuss the future of disease traceability and to provide feedback and guidance on CattleTrace and the advancement of disease traceability.

“CattleTrace was developed by and for beef producers,” said Brandon Depenbusch, CattleTrace, Inc., Board of Directors Chairman. “It was humbling to have so many producers and partners participate in the symposium, and their feedback will be critical as CattleTrace continues expanding and progressing.”

CattleTrace was launched in late June 2018. Since then, a disease traceability system has been developed and built, including ultra-high frequency ear tags, tag readers and a private database, owned by CattleTrace, Inc. To date, more than 50,000 tags have been distributed, which has resulted in approximately 150,000 individual sightings at cow-calf operations, livestock markets, backgrounding operations, feedyards and packers being transmitted to the database. Attendees of the symposium saw the first-ever public demonstration of a mock traceback using the CattleTrace system. Kansas Animal Health Commissioner, Dr. Justin Smith, says the CattleTrace system significantly enhances the ability to trace movement of feeder cattle in the event of a disease outbreak.

In addition to observing the first-ever public demonstration of a disease traceback, symposium attendees gained additional insights about the costs and economic impact of implementing a full disease traceability system and were able to ask questions of CattleTrace leaders during a panel discussion. A highlight of the symposium was remarks from Dr. Andrew Moxey, a consultant with ScotEID, about livestock traceability in Scotland and the benefits of ultra-high frequency technology. Attendees also engaged with other CattleTrace partners in breakout sessions where discussion focused on the future of CattleTrace.

“We have come a long way since CattleTrace was launched, but there is a lot of work that lies ahead of us to develop a national disease traceability system for the beef cattle industry,” said Depenbusch. “The feedback we gained at the symposium is not going to be put on a shelf and forgotten about. It will be used to help make critical decisions about the future of CattleTrace. We are excited about building new partnerships and continuing to expand CattleTrace, but more importantly, developing a disease traceability system to benefit our entire industry.”

To learn more about CattleTrace, visit www.CattleTrace.org or follow CattleTrace on Facebook or Twitter.

BeefTalk: Beef Production is Sustainable Grass Production

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 06:03:16 GMT

By: Kris Ringwall, Beef Specialist, NDSU Extension Service

The Dickinson Research Extension Center has changed the bull turnout date to Aug. 1 and is not going back.

The center depends on the annual plant cycle, a cycle one cannot change, to grow and produce beef. Plants have a growing season set by forces cattle producers do not control. Producers must come to understand the plant world, develop a sustainable forage and plant system, and then integrate beef production into that system, not the other way around.

Too often, and to the detriment of the beef production system, the beef cow plan is laid out first, with the forage and plant production left to a later discussion. The beef-first, plants-later philosophy increases demand for hay and other processed feed. This is a commodity-based system that may very well lack system sustainability in the long run. This approach leads to watching markets: buy low, sell high.

This is not criticism but reflective of the majority of the models beef producers utilize for beef production systems. But is that the only model? No. Expandable, and, we hope, more sustainable systems need to be evaluated to assess current trends and needs.

In the future, all avenues for additional compensation need to be explored to enhance the economic viability for beef producers and the rural areas associated with beef production. This compensation results in synergistic crop production systems that integrate rotational cropping practices, high-residue management and annual forages. Attention to wildlife habitat enhancement could be used to diversify income and open doors to other value-added opportunities in concert with crop production.

The center, as part of North Dakota State University, takes seriously the need for sustainable beef systems. The center was mandated by the North Dakota Legislature more than 110 years ago to develop sustainable and integrated production strategies matching forage, plant and cattle conditions of western North Dakota and surrounding regions. The inclusion of forages into traditional cropping systems can provide the resources necessary for the development of integrated production strategies that increase sustainability and profitability.

A need exists to develop agro-ecosystems that optimize the balance between forage-based and grain-based crop/livestock systems reflective of the many individual ecosystems. These integrated systems must be synergistic to the native and agronomic plant communities, providing the base for future beef production.

Enhanced value for not only the niche commodities produced from forage-based systems but mainstream market outlets is key. Meat and high-protein crops can fulfill the general population’s protein requirements. A forage-based system, integrated with crop production, can meet this demand on the current land mass, converting nature’s forage into food for people. These thoughts, starting with bull turnout, changed how the center is addressing the future. Previous work set baseline production for high-residue cropping systems, grassland systems and livestock systems, but further definition, integration and refinement of these system efforts are critical.

Beef producers need to think outside the box, as does the center. We need to link the components of agricultural management systems with value-added opportunities, ensuring long-term sustainability of beef and cropping systems within the environment. An integrated agricultural system that truly entwines crop, beef and forage production as a working unit for betterment needs to be embraced.

And so, the bull turnout is Aug. 1 for a targeted calving start date of May 12. Grass turnout to cool-season grass is around May 1, with warm-season grasses ready for grazing around June 1. These cow-calf pairs convert very admirably to grazing crop residue, standing corn and cover crops as the perennial grasses start to prepare for winter.

The system works, but as with any change, time is spent getting it right. This will be the fifth year the center has turned bulls out on Aug. 1. Yes, that is too late for those who already have turned the bulls out; the traditional time is early June, two months ago.

But change is not for everybody, nor should it be. Beef production units must focus on change gradually. Spend time pondering but be open-minded. All things fail if one assumes the change will fail before it is implemented. So think hard, look hard and do not be afraid to visit the center.

The bulls will not have time to visit during the next month, but we will. We are always happy to visit, drive around and look at the cattle. The gates have been opened. The bull turnout is the most significant day of the year for the cattle producer. Everything, and I mean everything, must be in place.

May you find all your ear tags.

The Future of Beef: We Need to Get it Right!

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 06:03:11 GMT

By: Kris Ringwall, Beef Specialist, NDSU Extension Service

The Native American saying, “We do not inherit the land from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children,” is a reminder that we need to think ahead.

Sustainable beef production is a lot more than a phrase; in fact, it’s the future. And the future belongs to our children, so we need to get it right.

Our children born today may have our grandchildren in 2041. Our grandchildren may have our great-grandchildren in 2066. And our great-grandchildren may have our great-great-grandchildren in 2091. As distant as it sounds, the birth of our great-great-great-grandchildren will occur early in the next century, 100 years from today.

We can agree: Our children are the future. A few of us might actually still be here, enjoying beef. Most certainly, some of our children and grandchildren, many of our great-grandchildren and almost all of our great-great-grandchildren and great-great-great-grandchildren will be here.

Our decisions today are for those who come after us. Our correct thoughts and actions will prepare the world for them; our mistakes will take a bit of the world away. So in our own space, we need to do what we can. In this case, we need to guide beef production and other farm and ranch production into the future.

What makes up the “beef industry”? The “beef industry” is a comingling of many components. So what does this mean? Who is the “beef industry”? Who do we need to put around the table to adequately discuss and ensure sustainable beef production long into the future?

Let’s set the table and invite our guests. The obvious invitation goes to a beef producer; after all, we are based in the production of beef. Plant life is paramount to the balance of our farm and ranch, so let us invite our neighbor who raises plants. Animals and plants must have healthy soil, so let’s invite someone who knows soil and the associated biology that soil contains.

Just as we eat, we must feed the organisms that live in the soil. Their food, a mixture of elements derived from the recycling of the many plants and animals, needs water and air, so we certainly need to have someone who understands water and someone who will provide insight into clean air.

Although we often stop there, those guests make up an incomplete list. What about the energy (renewable and nonrenewable) needed to start and enhance our desire to sustain our farm and ranch, to protect the quality of our air, water and soil? Let’s invite someone who has a good understanding of energy.

And who will consume the results of our production? The consumer should be at the table to reflect not only the desire to obtain the food the farm and ranch produces, but also the opportunity for shared use of space as our separate but integrated lives utilize air, water and soil for food and fun.

Two more chairs need to go to someone who understands wellness and someone who knows leisure. Wellness integrates our personal lives with work because our own individual and family wellness reflects the balance we each place on raising beef and integrating family and friends.

A well person is most likely a happy person. And a balance of work and leisure is critical to our long-term success and development of relationships with our own children and their children. We should have someone invited to make sure we know and understand the fullness of life, not just work.

The chairs around the table are almost full, so some order may be advised to handle issues or recommend solutions if a difference of opinion arises. Let’s invite someone with the organizational skills to focus our discussion on the topic at hand, the sustainable future of beef production, and to provide balance and a buffering of our demands upon air, water and soil. That being said, the table is full.

But wait, what about all those people around the world, the differing cultures that provide the backdrop, the color and diversity to our daily lives? We need someone who knows cultural impacts and how they may spin the very essence in the human interactions we so need to properly address long-term sustainability.

The table is most certainly full and the discussion ready to commence. But wait, who will bless the meal? Finally, the last guest arrives, the blessing is given and the table of 12 is now full. The inclusiveness of philosophies, traditions, spirituality and beliefs brings the diversity of the table to completion.

One asks, “How did this all happen?” But we are speaking of 100 years. New thoughts become old thoughts; old thoughts renew themselves. Truly, if new sustainable thoughts are to evolve, then the table must represent the total “beef industry.” And total means input from the many tugging directions that impact the “beef industry.” Enjoy the diversity, the openness yet challenges, always keeping our children first.

May you find all your ear tags.