US Unveils New Dietary Guidelines, Food Pyramid For Americans: What To Know

NEW YORK CITY — The Trump administration and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. unveiled new dietary guidelines for Americans on Wednesday focused on eating whole foods and healthy proteins.

Kennedy Jr. in his announcement "declared war" on added sugars.

"Highly processed foods loaded with additives, added sugar and excess salt damage health and should be avoided. As secretary of health and human services, my message is clear — eat real food," he said.

In addition, the administration unveiled a revamped food pyramid showcasing red meat, cheese, vegetables and fruits pictured at the top.

"Protein and healthy fats are essential and were wrongly discouraged in prior dietary guidelines," Kennedy added. "We are ending the war on saturated fats."

Kennedy and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins also called for a reduction in the consumption of highly processed foods "laden with refined carbohydrates, added sugars, excess sodium, unhealthy fats, and chemical additives."

They mentioned that more than 70 percent of American adults are overweight or obese due to a diet that has was reliant on highly processed foods and coupled with a sedentary lifestyle.

When it comes to adding fats to their meals, Americans are being advised to prioritize oils with essential fatty acids, like olive oil, butter or beef tallow.

Similarly, New York City now requires chain restaurants to label prepackaged food or drink or non-packaged equivalent with 50g plus of added sugars, the daily limit for a 2,000-calorie diet. The new sugar warning is a first-in-the-nation policy, according to the city health department.

Patch has reached out to the city health department for comment on the Trump administration's new dietary guidelines and food pyramid.