RFK Jr. Announces Sweeping Changes to the Country's Dietary Guidelines

On Jan. 7, 2026, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. (RFK) made an announcement unveiling the country's new dietary guidelines. In a statement given to the press, he explained that the significant update would include a focus on proteins, full-fat dairy, and other adjustments to the agency's previous views on the topic.

Additionally, he plans to bring back the food pyramid, which was discontinued more than a decade ago for being out of date.

While some health experts are applauding certain aspects of the change, critics aren't too happy with RFK's reversal of decades-old food guidelines. Several agencies, including the American Heart Association, worry that the recommendations will cause an increase in cardiovascular disease.

Here's everything we know about RFK's food pyramid update, including what some are saying people need to watch out for if they are going to follow the controversial secretary's new plan.

RFK said that the guidelines “will revolutionize our nation’s food culture and make America healthy" while speaking at the White House. The changes will include some updates on what people should be eating, which includes a marked increase in proteins. According to NBC News, the new recommendation suggests eating 1.2 to 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight at every meal.

Those proteins don't have to be bland, according to RFK's plan, and people can use salt to enhance the flavor.

There is also a new focus on full-fat dairy, which is a role reversal from previous recommendations that people use low-fat or fat-free dairy options whenever possible, to avoid saturated fats. Additionally, RFK's plan involved cutting back on ultra-processed foods.

The news has gotten mixed reviews from medical professionals. For example, the American Heart Association agrees with the changes around reducing added sugars and ultra-processed foods, but disagrees with others.

Namely, the increased focus on salt and red meat, writing in a statement that the organization is "concerned that recommendations regarding salt seasoning and red meat consumption could inadvertently lead consumers to exceed recommended limits for sodium and saturated fats, which are primary drivers of cardiovascular disease.”

And while some other health experts agree with some of the changes, they tell NBC News that “everything else is weaker or has no scientific justification.”

In 2011, the food pyramid was replaced with My Plate. The new design sorted foods into different sections on a plate, meant to replicate how you'd want to cover your dish during your meal, according to Harvard Medical School.

This was an effort to do away with the confusion of the pyramid, which placed foods into categories that were then stacked atop one another in blocks by the number of recommended servings a day (with the fewest being the smallest block at the top).

RFK's plan does away with My Plate, bringing back the pyramid with an inverse design, using images of the foods you should be eating the most of as the widest part of the pyramid.

However, a glaring omission from the new pyramid is something that health experts have been pushing for a while, and that's the inclusion of plant-based proteins, which are not only believed to be better for your health but better for the environment as well.