Last week, United States health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr released the government’s revamped dietary guidelines for 2025 to 2030.

These recommendations on healthy eating are updated every five years and help shape food policy and education for millions of Americans.

Under the slogan “eat real food”, the new guidelines recommend people “prioritise protein at every meal”, eat full-fat dairy and plenty of whole grains, and limit ultra-processed foods. A new food pyramid has also been redesigned and flipped on its head.

But are the guidelines based in good science? And how much has actually changed?

As in previous versions, the new guidelines promote nutrient-rich foods – such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains – and appropriate portions.

They continue to recommend people get protein from a variety of sources and limit added sugars and salt. Saturated fat remains capped at less than 10% of total calories.

This is consistent with the long-standing body of nutrition evidence.

Diets rich in whole foods are the most strongly linked to good health overall. There is also evidence they help prevent and manage heart disease, diabetes and – increasingly – mental health.

So, what’s different?

One of the major changes is an increase in recommended protein intake. The previous recommendation was 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight each day – it’s now 1.2–1.6 grams.

The change was based on a rapid review, which mainly focused on weight loss and exercise studies.

However, this evidence base is too narrow to make dietary........

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