Since our founding, we have known that there are forces in society that confuse us about what we should eat to maintain or regain health. PPMNY’s co-founders were all individually influenced by the critical writings of T. Colin Campbell, PhD, a Cornell University nutritional biochemist and cancer researcher who, together with his son and co-author, laid out these issues very clearly in their seminal work The China Study (revised edition, 2016):

Yesterday, the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services and of Agriculture issued their five-year Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA). While the current administration has made it clear that reducing highly processed foods and eating “real food” is a goal, the Guidelines are far from the evidence vis-a-vis animal foods.

The new website housing the DGA is called RealFood.gov — with pictures of red meat, whole milk, and broccoli in the splash image.

In the newly issued DGA, the old food pyramid from the ‘90s, which had been replaced and improved upon in 2011 as MyPlate, is now pitted against the new food pyramid below, which makes it look like whole grains are an enemy (though read the fine print below) while elevating animal foods — even red meat, butter, beef tallow, and full-fat dairy — alongside fruits and vegetables.

We want to be very clear that this picture and the animal consumption guidelines are not based on solid, decades-old scientific evidence.

The fine print reads:

• “Vegetables and fruits are essential to real food nutrition. Eat a wide variety of whole, colorful, nutrient-dense vegetables and fruits in their original form, prioritizing freshness and minimal processing.” We support this message.
• “Whole grains are encouraged. Refined carbohydrates are not. Prioritize fiber-rich whole grains and significantly reduce the consumption of highly processed, refined carbohydrates that displace real nourishment.” We support this message.
• “We are ending the war on protein. Every meal must prioritize high-quality, nutrient-dense protein from both animal and plant sources, paired with healthy fats from whole foods such as eggs, seafood, meats, full-fat dairy, nuts, seeds, olives, and avocados.” By the numbers, the upper bound for protein has been increased. We do not need to eat more protein, and especially not from animal-based sources.

Their problematic advice includes:

• “Prioritize Protein Foods at Every Meal: Consume a variety of protein foods from animal sources, including eggs, poultry, seafood, and red meat.”
• “Consume Dairy: When consuming dairy, include full-fat dairy with no added sugars.”

While the DGA advises people to limit consumption of saturated fats to 10% of daily calories — consistent with past guidelines and essential for chronic disease prevention — the specific food-based advice that follows would very easily bring that number far above 10% for people who are unaware of the nutrient content of the food they eat and do not track their macronutrients. (Most of us!)

But it’s not just the fat content of animal foods that’s a problem. Heme iron, naturally-occurring hormones, carcinogenic compounds, and even protein are all a concern — the whole nutritional package of these “real” animal foods is not designed for human bodies to take in beyond a few servings per week.

And let’s be clear: There has never been a war on protein. Protein is still the nutrient of choice on food packaging and advertising. The amount of protein is not as much of the problem as the source of protein. Consuming animal protein is implicated in cancer risk, kidney disease, osteoporosis, dementia, and cardiovascular disease, among others. Plant protein sources are healthful, and all whole plant foods contain protein.

The new DGA is certainly political and influenced by food industries that benefit. The Scientific Report of the 2025-2030 DGA Committee, a group of experts appointed by the government to review the evidence and propose updates, stated this a year ago — the opposite of what has been published today:

What will happen as a result of the new Guidelines is still unknown, though school food and federal nutrition programs are based on them. What’s clear is that we have:

While you may know and understand this information from your participation in our community, many others will not. In discussion with others about this news, you might hear comments like this:

• “Well, it sounds like even the experts don’t know what’s actually healthy anyway, and life is short, so why does it matter?”
• “That’s a relief — I’ll go back to eating steak and butter without guilt.”
• “Dietary guidelines? There are dietary guidelines?”
• “I eat plenty of real foods, and I still have high cholesterol, so I must be unlucky. Bad genes.”

There’s so much more to the story, which is why we all need to be equipped with the evidence and the confidence to say that these Guidelines are flawed — and that all people are capable of transforming their health with whole food, plant-based nutrition.

If you encounter confusion among your peers, colleagues, or family members, please point them to us and the many trustworthy organizations in the plant-based health community for guidance that truly makes a difference.

Yours in health,