‘Eat real food’: RFK Jr. announces new federal nutrition guidelines, flips food pyramid upside down

In a move sure to shake up what some call the Big Food industry, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Wednesday announced new federal nutritional guidelines.

“My message is clear: Eat real food,” Kennedy told White House reporters in a press briefing. “Nothing matters more for health care outcomes, economic productivity, military readiness and fiscal stability.”

EAT REAL FOOD. https://t.co/529KCib9LF

— Secretary Kennedy (@SecKennedy) January 7, 2026

The government guidelines, which are revised every five years, urge Americans to limit ultra-processed food and refined carbohydrates, and to prioritize protein-rich meals. They also reverse long-held U.S. government stances on red meat and saturated fats.

“The Trump administration is now updating federal nutrition standards and guidelines to ensure that Americans have the most accurate, data-driven information supported by science and hard facts, not special interests or partisan ideology,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters.

Fox News reports Leavitt said that the guidelines would impact what is served in public schools, what American servicemembers eat and what food is distributed through government programs.

“Faulty dietary guidelines of the past stack the deck against healthy eating and food options for everyday American families, which has fueled the chronic disease epidemic and jacked up the health care costs of households across the country,” Leavitt added. “When these guidelines are followed, Americans will be saving themselves thousands of dollars. If we want to cut health care costs in our country, we must become a healthier country. … A healthier America will lead to a more affordable America.”

The new guidelines are a key component of Kennedy’s MAHA movement – Make America Health Again. Here are his more extended comments:

? WOW! Secretary Bobby Kennedy just STUNNED the Left by creating the “EAT REAL FOOD” pyramid, he followed through 100% on the promise of MAHA

At the top: steak, chicken, vegetables and fruits

NOWHERE to be seen:
– Foods with added sugar
– Ultra-processed snacks and candy

?￰ﾟﾇﾸ?￰ﾟﾇﾸ pic.twitter.com/KvcbGV6ont

— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) January 7, 2026

For decades, large food companies have successfully marketed highly processed and addictive “hyper-palatable” foods, which many experts say have led to epidemics of obesity and chronic disease.

Part of the guidelines include a new “food pyramid.” This one literally flips old assumptions upside down, with a call for more meat and fat and fewer whole grains:

Now saturated fats, long discouraged by government authorities, have been given new life.

“The new guidelines recognize that whole, nutrient-dense food is the most effective path to better health and lower health care costs,” Kennedy said. “Protein and healthy fats are essential, and were wrongly discouraged in prior dietary guidelines. We are ending the war on saturated fats.”

Kennedy said national security, and not just health, are at risk when Americans eat poorly.

“If a foreign adversary sought to destroy the health of our children, cripple our economy, to weaken our national security, there would be no better strategy than to addict us to ultra-processed foods,” he said.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins joined RFK Jr. for the announcement.

“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,” Rollins said. “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.”

Speaking of milk, the new pyramid features an image of a carton of whole milk after decades of the feds telling Americans that low-fat or skim milk is healthier.

FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary also chimed in.

“We have 40% of our kids now with a chronic disease. It is not their fault. This is something that is the result of bad advice from the government and a medical establishment that for decades peddled research from a flawed 1960s model,” Makary said. “This is not a willpower problem for our nation’s kids. This is something adults have done to kids, and we’re going to fix it.”

As Fox News points out, the new guidance comes in stark contrast to the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s report released in the final days of President Joe Biden’s term, which garnered criticism over a lack of directives on ultra-processed foods.

RFK Jr. himself has said he adheres basically to a carnivore diet and adds in some fermented vegetables.

The 1974 Food Pyramid vs The 2026 Food Pyramid.

Why do they look so different?

This is going to shock you (Sarcasm)…

Big Business lobbied for the Food Pyramid they wanted and not what was actually healthy for the people.

Sick. pic.twitter.com/E3Uea4dse1

— C3 (@C_3C_3) January 7, 2026