January 15, 2026 | Clint Grant, Erin Bayer
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) are foundational to addressing not only nutrition but also longstanding concerns surrounding chronic disease. The updated 2025-2030 guidelines arrive at a critical moment, as chronic conditions affect more than 90% of adults aged 65 and older, approximately 75% of adults aged 35–64, and 60% of adults aged 18–34. Additionally, nearly 90% of U.S. health care spending is devoted to treating chronic disease, much of it linked to diet and lifestyle.
Key Changes from Previous Dietary Guidelines
The new guidelines maintain longstanding recommendations on limiting sodium intake, promoting whole grains, and highlighting the importance of consuming fruits and vegetables. DGA also introduces several notable shifts in nutrition guidelines, which focus on increasing daily protein intake from nutrient dense sources (e.g., meat, dairy, beans, nuts, and soy), emphasize the benefits of dairy, and advise against “highly processed” foods. A redesigned food pyramid now places protein, dairy, and healthy fats alongside vegetables and fruits in the largest sections, with whole grains occupying a smaller portion at the base. Some additional highlights:
Fats and Dairy: The guidelines recommend cooking with “healthy fats,” like olive oil, butter, and beef tallow, while maintaining the recommendation to limit saturated fat to no more than 10% of daily calories. They also explicitly recommend full-fat dairy products with no added sugars, representing a departure from previous emphasis on low-fat alternatives.
Added Sugars: DGA says no one meal should contain more than 10 grams of added sugars, or about 2 teaspoons — a more restrictive approach than the previous recommendation of less than 10% of daily calories. The guidelines also state that no amount of added sugar is considered part of a healthy diet. This aligns with efforts to reduce cardiometabolic risk across all age groups.
Processed Foods: For the first time, DGA explicitly addresses highly processed foods. A recent CDC report “Ultra-processed Food Consumption in Youth and Adults” found that 55% of the U.S. population receives more than half of their daily calories from ultra-processed foods, and the new guidance calls for avoiding highly processed packaged foods that are excessively salty or sweet. This reflects growing evidence linking high consumption of highly processed foods to increased risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes.
Plant-Based Diets: The guidelines acknowledge that vegetarian and vegan dietary patterns can be healthy but caution that these diets may require careful planning to avoid nutrient gaps (i.e., vitamin B12, vitamin D, iron, calcium, and vitamin E) — underscoring the importance of monitoring nutrient adequacy across different dietary patterns.
Alcohol: While previous DGA editions recommended no more than two drinks per day for men and one for women, the current advises Americans to “consume less alcohol for better overall health,” without defining a specific limit. Those who are pregnant, recovering from alcohol use disorder, or taking medications affected by alcohol should abstain entirely.
Highlights of New Dietary Guidelines Throughout the Life Course
DGA’s life course approach is valuable, as it emphasizes that good nutrition is not one-size-fits-all but rather a dynamic framework that adapts to changing needs across the life course. This perspective recognizes that establishing healthy eating patterns early creates a foundation for lifelong health and chronic disease prevention. The following highlight how DGA addresses nutrition across the life course.
Infancy and Early Childhood
The “Zero Sugar” Rule: In a major win for public health, the administration provides evidence-based guidance that no amount of added sugar is recommended for early childhood.
First Food: DGA emphasizes exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months (or iron-fortified formula when breastmilk is unavailable).
Pregnancy and Lactation
The guidelines appropriately highlight the increased need for specific nutrients during pregnancy; however, it misses an opportunity to debunk the “eating for two” myth. Pregnancy actually requires only modest caloric increases. Clarifying this could help prevent common misconceptions about gestational nutrition.
Children and Adolescents
The Activity Balance: While full-fat dairy is highlighted for brain development, the guidance could be stronger by linking intake to physical activity levels, especially given today’s more sedentary lifestyles.
Mindful Eating: Future guidance would benefit from explicitly teaching youth the principle of “eating the right amount for you” to foster better self-regulation.
Older Adults
The focus on nutrient-dense foods is spot-on for the aging population and instrumental in managing chronic diseases at home through medically tailored meals. However, to be truly actionable, recommendations must tackle affordability, access, and clinical support; therefore, addressing structural barriers could strengthen the guidelines. Economic and food insecurity are growing issues for older adults across the nation, while transportation and mobility challenges serve as impediments to food access. Addressing these challenges is pivotal for our aging population to meet the health goals outlined in these guidelines.
Implementation Across Federal Programs
As the foundation for all federal nutrition assistance, DGA will trigger operational and policy shifts across programs serving millions of Americans. SNAP will be expected to tighten eligibility for items such as sugar-sweetened beverages, candy, and energy drinks. Notably, several states have already secured USDA waivers to restrict these purchases, with some policies effective as of Jan. 1, 2026. WIC program administrators may also be tasked with reshaping food packages, specifically regarding protein sources, dairy, and infant feeding standards.
Further, USDA will gradually translate DGA guidelines into updated meal standards for school nutrition programs, including the National School Lunch Program. Beyond meal service, DGA increasingly emphasizes tailored nutrition for chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease. Consequently, state and local health agencies should anticipate further integration of medical nutrition therapy into community-based disease prevention initiatives.
The Path Forward
The release of DGA represents a shift in federal nutrition policy. While the long-term impacts of these guidelines will take years to fully evaluate, public health must continue to move forward with practical implementation strategies to continue to address the United States’ evolving and unique nutritional needs. Successful implementation of DGA’s robust health goals will necessitate the investment of federal funding appropriations and policies that widen reliable access to nutritious food.
ASTHO looks forward to working with its members who are positioned to:
Continue the inclusion of evidence-based research to ensure nutrition guidelines align with local context and preferences and meet the needs of their community.
Further integrate proven chronic disease prevention interventions across the life course.
Lead multisector systems-based approaches to improve the availability of real food by dismantling the economic and structural barriers that prevent access to nutritious food for all.
