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The revamped Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030 present a valuable opportunity for livestock producers to regain some lost ground in the long-running campaign against their products. For years, these products have served as convenient scapegoats for a range of human illnesses as well as climate change.
The National Cattlemen’s Association in the United States (US) was quick to recognise the opportunity, noting that in addition to its protein content, beef provides at least nine other essential nutrients, including iron and B vitamins. Producers have always known that good food is good medicine. Yet the tide turned against them as far back as 1955 when President Dwight Eisenhower suffered a heart attack shortly after eating a hamburger, fuelling fears around saturated fats.
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Protein makes a comeback
Now, US health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr says he intends to end the “war on animal proteins”, advocating the expansion of cattle herds to meet growing consumption demands. Coupled with the biogenic carbon model, which shows that a ruminant’s carbon footprint is far lower than often claimed, this statement sounds like good news for livestock producers.
Recently published by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the updated healthy food pyramid effectively turns the previous model on its head. Animal proteins such as meat, milk, cheese, butter and eggs now occupy the top tier, replacing grains and plant-based proteins.
This represents a major revision of federal dietary guidelines that significantly elevates beef and other animal proteins in the national diet, reversing decades of recommendations that placed grains at the foundation. The guidelines, first issued in 1980, are revised every five years based on the latest research and expert advice. They guide legislators, food relief programmes, schools, old-age homes, prisons, and hospitals on healthy meal planning and eating habits.
A return to real food
According to the USDA, the latest version focusses on flexible, balanced menus rooted in modern nutritional science. For producers, a striking feature of the message is a return to basics: households are encouraged to prioritise whole, nutrient-dense foods (protein, dairy, vegetables, fruits, healthy fats, and whole grains), and reduce highly processed foods.
Protein recommendations have increased from 0,8g/kg of bodyweight to between 1,2 and 1,6g/kg. According to a departmental spokesperson, this is part of an effort to make America healthy again. “At long last, we are realigning our food system to support farmers, ranchers and companies that grow and produce real food. Farmers and ranchers are at the forefront of the solution, and that means more protein, dairy, vegetables, fruits, healthy fats, and whole grains on dinner tables.”
In this context, ‘real food’ refers to products that are minimally processed and close to their natural form, with little added sugar or salt – rather than highly processed carbohydrates.
Health outcomes
The US apparently faces a national health emergency with nearly 90% of healthcare spending devoted to treating chronic diseases, many linked to diet and lifestyle. More than 70% of American adults are overweight or obese, and nearly one in three adolescents has prediabetes. Americans are often described as ‘overfed yet undernourished’. The new guidelines therefore encourage people to prioritise protein at every meal, eat fruits and vegetables throughout the day, and include healthy fats and whole grains in their diets.
Whether the revised pyramid will change the situation remains to be seen. As expected, not all nutritionists and medical specialists agree that animal products are as healthy as claimed. Some worry that downgrading grains could confuse consumers who have long been told that whole grains are essential for good health. Others question the emphasis on full-fat dairy after years of advice favouring low- or no-fat alternatives.
There is also the danger that people could start eating too much saturated fat, especially if they are eating a lot of animal protein in general. Dieticians also worry about depriving children of sugar, something that could cause eating disorders. After all, food should be enjoyed.
A major point of debate, however, is the affordability of the recommended diet. The USDA argues that healthy meals remain within reach, suggesting that a simple plate consisting of chicken, broccoli, and a few other ingredients could cost as little as US$3 (about R45). In fact, the Trump administration has said that hundreds of meal options meet the new guidelines without increasing the price the consumer pays.
In practice, however, implementing such menus may not be easy or cheap. It will require more storage, refrigeration, frequent shopping, and more skilled preparation.
The reality of food prices
In South Africa, it is already difficult to buy a meal – healthy or otherwise – for less than R40. School feeding schemes still rely heavily on staples such as mieliepap. Producers are often blamed for high food prices, yet few consumers realise how expensive and difficult it is to produce food, whether growing vegetables or raising cattle.
And, of course, with everything else being so expensive – from transport to cooking fuel – food consumes an ever-larger slice of household income. Around the world, producers are under pressure just as consumers are to make ends meet and keep their farms running (sometimes against all odds); they can do nothing to cut food prices.
Whatever dietary guidelines South Africa has they clearly cannot be widely adopted, given the extreme poverty that is evident almost everywhere. Government attempts to fill the gap through social grants and other safety nets that support at least 20 million extended families in a population of 60 million, knowing this is neither enough nor sustainable.
Delivering subsidised or free food to those most in need remains a challenge. Yet this could also create opportunities for small-scale producers in rural areas, while commercial livestock producers might benefit from the renewed emphasis on ‘real food’ – assuming the slogan has not already been highjacked and misused by retailers.
From a business perspective, the founder of a major hamburger franchise once remarked that he had never seen a healthy vegetarian – at a time when artificial meat was on everyone’s lips. Perhaps that explains his success: he understood the market. And today, courts are ruling against misleading brand names used for meat or dairy substitutes.
The new pyramid
Figure 1 is a visual educational tool designed to help consumers make informed dietary choices based on the new US food pyramid.
Figure 1: The new food pyramid. (Source: Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030)
Table 1: Recommended serving goals for major food groups. (Source: Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030)
| Food group | Serving goals (based on a 2 000 kcal/day diet) |
| Protein | 1,2 to 1,6g of protein per kg of bodyweight per day, adjusting as needed based on individual caloric requirements |
| Dairy | 3 servings per day, adjusting as needed based on individual caloric requirements |
| Vegetables | 3 servings per day, adjusting as needed based on individual caloric requirements |
| Fruits | 2 servings per day, adjusting as needed based on individual caloric requirements |
| Whole grains | 2 to 4 servings per day, adjusting as needed based on individual caloric requirements |
The guidelines encourage people to incorporate a variety of foods from each group into their diets, reduce alcohol consumption, and limit saturated fat and sodium intake. Other recommendations include:
- Incorporate beef tallow and other healthy fats into the cooking process.
- Use healthier cooking methods such as baking, broiling, roasting, stir-frying, or grilling, all of which can be used with the wide variety of retail beef cuts available to American families.
- Introduce nutrient-dense foods such as meat during infancy and early childhood to support growing children. – Roelof Bezuidenhout
Visit www.dietaryguidelines.gov to access the full report, or send an email to the author at rbezuid1@gmail.com
