In a significant shift from established nutritional policy, the Trump administration unveiled revised federal dietary guidelines on January 7, 2026, emphasizing increased protein consumption and stringent sugar limitations. The new recommendations mark a departure from conventional wisdom by endorsing full-fat dairy products and explicitly discouraging highly processed foods and artificial sweeteners.
The guidelines, developed under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins as part of the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) initiative, represent the most substantial overhaul of federal nutrition advice in decades. Secretary Kennedy declared the administration’s stance as a “war on added sugar” during the White House announcement, positioning the new guidelines as a measure to combat rising chronic disease rates linked to dietary patterns.
Key modifications include increased protein recommendations from 0.8 grams to 1.2-1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight daily, elimination of specific alcohol consumption limits in favor of general reduction advice, and removal of the previous allowance for minimal added sugars in healthier foods. The updated guidance now states that “no amount of added sugars or non-nutritive sweeteners is recommended or considered part of a healthy or nutritious diet.”
The administration’s approach has drawn support from medical organizations, including the American Medical Association, which applauded the focus on processed foods and sugar-sweetened beverages contributing to heart disease, diabetes, and obesity. However, the guidelines have generated controversy due to their departure from previous scientific consensus and concerns about industry influence on nutritional policy.
These federally-mandated guidelines form the nutritional foundation for school meal programs serving approximately 30 million children and influence medical advice nationwide. The administration has indicated plans to reform the guideline development process further, including restructuring advisory committees that critics claim have been overly influenced by food industry interests.