They Flipped the Food Pyramid.
1980 Food Pyramid (Left) | 2025 Food Pyramid (Right)
They Flipped the Food Pyramid.
The U.S. government just released new dietary guidelines. And for the first time in decades, they actually make some sense.
Highly processed food is finally being called out as a problem. Protein recommendations went up. Full fat dairy is back. The low fat era is officially over.
Sounds great. So why aren't we celebrating?
Because we've been here before.
These are the same people who told us fat was the enemy. The same people who pushed margarine over butter. Who demonized eggs for decades. Who built a food pyramid with bread and cereal at the base and wondered why America got sick.
These are the same people who let the sugar industry pay for research that blamed fat for heart disease. Who allowed pizza sauce to count as a vegetable in school lunches. Who gave subsidies to make corn syrup cheap while real food got expensive.
The result? More than 70 percent of American adults are now overweight or obese. Nearly one in three teenagers has prediabetes. Most healthcare spending goes to managing diseases that didn't need to happen in the first place.
So yes, the new guidelines are better. But better than terrible is a low bar.
What they got right.
Processed food is finally called out. Not just "limit added sugars" but real acknowledgment that junk food, the stuff loaded with fake ingredients, dyes, and chemicals, is making people sick.
Protein matters. The new recommendation is roughly 0.5 to 0.7 grams per pound of body weight. That's more than what most people eat. Protein keeps you full, supports muscle, balances blood sugar, and becomes even more important as you age.
Full fat dairy is fine. The low fat yogurt and skim milk era is over. Turns out whole foods work better in the body than processed "light" versions of the same thing.
Low carb is acknowledged. For the first time, the guidelines admit that some people do better eating fewer carbohydrates. Especially those dealing with blood sugar issues or metabolic problems.
What they still got wrong.
Saturated fat is still limited to 10 percent of calories. But fat from an avocado, a steak, or a piece of cheese doesn't behave the same way in the body. Context matters. What you eat with it matters. A blanket limit doesn't make sense.
Whole grains are still pushed as universally healthy. But for people with insulin resistance or blood sugar issues, even whole grains can cause spikes. Not everyone thrives on grains.
Dairy is recommended for everyone. But a lot of people are lactose intolerant or don't digest dairy well. One size doesn't fit all.
It's still based on averages. The guidelines assume everyone's body works the same way. It doesn't. We now have ways to personalize nutrition, but government policy hasn't caught up.
The protein marketing trap.
Here's what's already happening. The guidelines say "eat more protein" and the food industry hears "slap protein on anything and call it healthy."
Dunkin' just launched a Protein Milk. Sounds healthy, right? Look closer. It's processed junk with added protein. This is exactly what happened with low fat. When fat was demonized, companies removed fat and added sugar and refined starches to compensate for taste. Calories went up. Metabolic health got worse. Low fat became a marketing label, not a health improvement.
Now they're doing the same thing with protein.
Adding protein to a highly processed food doesn't turn it into a health food. Protein doesn't cancel out added sugars, refined carbohydrates, or chemical additives. Food quality still matters. The goal is to get your protein from whole, nutrient-dense foods like eggs, meat, fish, chicken, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, legumes. Not from a sugary drink with a "high protein" label.
Be mindful of the health halo. Look beyond the claim. Read the ingredient list. If it has a long list of stuff you can't pronounce, the protein doesn't save it.
The real takeaway.
The new guidelines are a step forward. But don't take them as gospel.
These are the same institutions that got it wrong for 40 years. The same ones influenced by food industry money. The same ones that took decades to admit what common sense already told us: real food is better than fake food.
If they can flip the pyramid just like that, what does that say about everything they told us before?
Be skeptical. Not paranoid, just skeptical. Pay attention to how your body responds. Do your own research. Don't wait for a government document to tell you how to eat. Critical thinking is one of the only things we can actually still control in these crazy times. Protect it.
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Coco Pierrel, The Healthy Weight Loss Coach, helps you unlearn dieting and relearn eating for a healthy weight loss through the Eat Shed Glow™ method. Ready for personalized support? Book your free 15-min consult today.
