The USDA published its Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030, in which it outlines the new food pyramid and how to properly use it to stay healthy.
“To Make America Healthy Again, we must return to the basics,” Robert F. Kennedy Jr., secretary of Health and Human Services, and Brooke L. Rollins, secretary of the Department of Agriculture, said in a memo. “American households must prioritize diets built on whole, nutrient-dense foods—protein, dairy, vegetables, fruits, healthy fats, and whole grains. Paired with a dramatic reduction in highly processed foods laden with refined carbohydrates, added sugars, excess sodium, unhealthy fats, and chemical additives.”
This comes as part of the president’s Make America Healthy Again initiative. MAHA is a plan intended to address the childhood chronic-disease crisis.
“Under President Trump’s leadership, we are restoring common sense, scientific integrity, and accountability to federal food and health policy—and we are reclaiming the food pyramid and returning it to it’s true purpose of educating and nourishing all Americans,” the memo said.
The change to the food pyramid is not inherently good or bad; rather, it’s up to individuals to decide how to apply the changes to their lives.
“I think highly processed foods and a diet high in refined carbohydrates is creating irreparable damage to children and adults,” gym teacher Matthew Hagy said. “There are so many variables when it comes to diet; such as age and activity level, that the new pyramid is an improvement. Personal responsibility to educate and use that education to make good choices is on the individual.”
There are many ways to apply the new food pyramid to your diet and many ways to improve eating habits.
“Teens can eat much healthier by learning how to read and understand nutrition labels on their food,” chef Micheal Ousch, executive chef at Stanton Ridge Country Club, said. “Paying attention to ingredient lists and choosing items with recognizable, simple ingredients can help avoid excess sugars, preservatives, and highly processed additives.”
For all the changes made to the pyramid, one point the current administration emphasizes is the reasoning behind those changes.
“We are realigning the food system to support American farmers, ranchers, and companies who grow and produce real food— and the Trump administration is working to ensure all families can afford it. We are putting real food back at the center of the American diet,” the memo said.
From the perspective of someone who interacts with food and health every day, the new food pyramid appears to be an improvement.
“I think that the new food pyramid is excellent,” Ousch said. “It puts more focus on eating lean protein rich foods followed by vegetables and fruits as a second, flipping the grains to the bottom, which are carbohydrate rich and making America overweight.”
According to the Center for Disease Control, one in five children and two in five adults suffer from obesity. A change in the food pyramid could be life-changing for many people, but it could also have little effect. The only way to see if the new food pyramid is as healthy as they claim is to abide by it, which many people may not do. For those who want to become healthier, the new food pyramid may offer a helpful approach, but for those content with their health, it may not significantly change their lifestyles.
“How you live is up to you,” Hagy said. “Educating yourself and taking action on that education is up to you. We don’t have to eat a perfect diet, and have the perfect exercise regiment. Being health conscious and caring about your body, and treating it with care and respect is on you. You will have many cars, friends, and earthly possessions, but you only get one body. Make your health a priority throughout your entire life.”
