Trump Admin Unveils "Eat Real Food" Dietary Guidelines to Fight Chronic Disease

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced the guidelines alongside Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, calling the move central to President Donald Trump's domestic agenda to "make America healthy again."

"These are not just an updated guideline," Leavitt said. "These are the foundation of all federal food programs in our country." These dietary guidelines are for the five-year period 2025-2030.

Kennedy said the new framework marked "the most significant reset of federal nutrition policy in history," arguing that prior guidelines promoted "highly processed foods and refined carbohydrates" while discouraging protein and healthy fats.

"The hard truth is that our government has been lying to us to protect corporate profit," Kennedy said. "Today, the lies stop."

Under the new guidance, federal nutrition policy will emphasise whole, nutrient-dense foods, increased protein intake, fruits, vegetables, whole grains and limits on added sugars. Kennedy said the government was "ending the war on saturated fat diets" and "declaring war on added sugar."

"These guidelines will revolutionise our nation's food culture," he said. "My message is clear: eat real food."

Rollins said decades of federal incentives had displaced foods grown by American farmers and ranchers, contributing to what she described as the "worst chronic health crisis in our nation's history."

"This crisis is unacceptable," Rollins said. "The solution is simple and should be non-controversial: eat real food."

The guidelines will shape meals served in public schools, the military, veterans' hospitals, and nutrition programs such as SNAP, WIC and Head Start. Officials said implementation would begin with revised rules and procurement standards rather than immediate mandates.

"Nothing changes overnight," Kennedy said. "But you'll begin to see some real changes coming very soon."

Dr Mehmet Oz said the guidelines could sharply reduce federal health spending by lowering obesity-related diseases. "The best way to reduce drug spend in America is to not need the drugs in the first place," he said.

FDA Commissioner Marty Makary described the move as "the beginning of the end of an era of medical dogma on nutrition," saying protein recommendations for children would increase by as much as 50 to 100 per cent.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans are updated every five years and influence food policy across multiple federal agencies, affecting tens of millions of Americans daily.

- IANS