RFK Jr.'s new US food pyramid puts red meat, veggies & cheese at the top

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“My message is clear, eat real food,” Kennedy said during a White House briefing on Wednesday.

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Alcohol guidance
The updated guidelines echo the 2020 version by urging “less alcohol for better health,” although they do away with the previous recommendation that men limit their intake to two drinks or less per day and women to one drink or less.


“Alcohol is a social lubricant that brings people together. In the best case scenario, I don’t think you should drink alcohol, but it does allow people an excuse to bond and socialize. And there’s probably nothing healthier than having a good time with friends in a safe way,” said Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

“But the implication is, don’t have it for breakfast. This should be something done in small amount.”

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As an introduction to the new guidelines, Kennedy and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins called for a "dramatic reduction" in the consumption of "highly processed foods laden with refined carbohydrates, added sugars, excess sodium, unhealthy fats, and chemical additives."

"This approach can change the health trajectory for so many Americans," they wrote, pointing out that more than 70% of American adults are overweight or obese due to a diet that has "become reliant on highly processed foods and coupled with a sedentary lifestyle."

For years, Americans have been advised to limit saturated fat, and the new pyramid is facing criticism.

"I'm very disappointed in the new pyramid that features red meat and saturated fat sources at the very top, as if that's something to prioritize. It does go against decades and decades of evidence and research," says Christopher Gardner, a nutrition expert at Stanford University. He was a member of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, which reviewed all the nutrition evidence.

The guidelines also elevate cheese and other dairy to the top of the pyramid, paving the way for the option of full-fat milk and other dairy products in school meals. There's growing evidence, based on nutrition science, that dairy foods can be beneficial.

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