The U.S. dietary guidelines just got a makeover — and a new, inverted food pyramid — that puts nutrient-dense proteins and full-fat dairy at the top and whole grains at the bottom.

The guidelines are co-signed by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the central figure of the controversial “Make America Healthy Again,” or MAHA, movement, and Brooke L. Rollins, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“To Make America Healthy Again, we must return to the basics. American households must prioritize diets built on whole, nutrient-dense foods — protein, dairy, vegetables, fruits, healthy fats, and whole grains,” the dietary guidelines read. “Paired with a dramatic reduction in 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.”

The new food pyramid

The new guidelines come with a food pyramid that upends the Obama-era MyPlate initiative — the most recent infographic breaking down the federal dietary guidelines into a single plate. With MyPlate, half of the plate included fruits and vegetables, while the other half contained grains and protein, with grains given slightly higher precedence. A small side dish, representing dairy, was also included.

The new food pyramid, however, places vegetables, proteins, dairy and healthy fats like olive oil at the top, suggesting they should hold equal importance. Fruits and nuts are slightly lower on the pyramid, and whole grains are at the very bottom.

“We are putting real food back at the center of the American diet,” the guidelines say. “Real food that nourishes the body. Real food that restores health. Real food that fuels energy and encourages movement and exercise. Real food that builds strength.”

What’s different about the new dietary guidelines? What’s the same?

Overall, there’s a stronger emphasis on protein and fats than with MyPlate, which prioritized whole grains and vegetables and recommended less dairy and protein, specifically meat.

The new food guidelines now state that people should eat 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of their body weight per day from animal sources such as “eggs, poultry, seafood, and red meat, as well as a variety of plant-sourced protein foods, including beans, peas, lentils, legumes, nuts, seeds, and soy.” A 150-pound person, for example, would eat approximately 81 to 110 grams of protein based on this recommendation.

The guidelines do not clarify which protein sources are a better option. Health experts, including those with the American Heart Association, have suggested limiting meat, particularly red meat, which has been linked to health issues including type 2 diabetes.

MyPlate previously said that while “most Americans eat enough” protein, they “need to select leaner varieties of meat and poultry.” It also emphasized adding more seafood and plant-based proteins to one’s diet.

One of the most significant differences from previous guidelines is the emphasis on “full-fat dairy with no added sugars.” The MyPlate initiative previously recommended low-fat or no-fat dairy products, to help Americans avoid saturated fats — one cup of full-fat milk, for example, contains 5 grams of the recommended limit of 20 grams per day.

As for grains, the new guidelines recommend aiming for two to four servings of whole grains per day — far less than the five to seven servings that MyPlate recommended that women eat. (MyPlate recommended that men eat even more.)

The new guidelines stress the importance of reducing the consumption of “highly processed, refined carbohydrates,” which include “white bread, ready-to-eat or packaged breakfast options, flour tortillas, and crackers.”

They also suggest that Americans consume healthy fats, including “oils with essential fatty acids, such as olive oil,” which was also a MyPlate recommendation. Two additions are noted: butter and beef tallow, both of which are high in saturated fats and have been linked to higher LDL cholesterol, also known as “bad” cholesterol, and an increased risk of heart disease.

Kennedy has shared his passion for beef tallow before, suggesting in a 2024 post on X that Americans start frying with the fat again.

“More high-quality research is needed to determine which types of dietary fats best support long-term health,” the guidelines say.

The guidelines recommend limiting saturated fat to no more than 10% of daily calories, saying that significantly reducing processed food consumption “will help meet this goal.” While Kennedy has long condemned processed foods, some experts argue that not all processed foods should be considered unhealthy.