RFK Jr.’s Food Fight: Can He Change America’s Diet?
With diet-related illnesses costing the nation more than $1 trillion annually, the guidelines carry immense weight in shaping the eating habits—and health outcomes—of millions. Kennedy’s leadership could usher in significant changes, including stricter scrutiny of ultra-processed foods and a push to reduce corporate influence over federal health recommendations. As the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) prepares its report, Kennedy faces a rare opportunity to address the United States’ mounting diet-related health crisis.
Dietary Guidelines Defined
But the guidelines don’t appear out of thin air. Behind them is the DGAC, a panel of nutrition scientists and public health experts. Over two years, the committee reviews research, gathers public input, and compiles a report that informs the final recommendations.
The DGAC’s role is advisory.
“The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee reviews the science and makes recommendations,” Richard Mattes, a nutrition scientist and member of the 2020 DGAC panel, told The Epoch Times. Its report goes to the HHS and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which finalize the guidelines.
Less Meat and Potatoes
Americans are also advised to limit overall red meat consumption. For those eating 2,200 or more calories daily, the DGAC suggests further cutting weekly meat, poultry, and egg intake by an additional 3.5 to 4 ounces compared with previous recommendations—roughly the size of a deck of cards or the palm of a hand.
“This advice does not consider that plant-based proteins are not as complete as animal proteins—and therefore, not as digestible to people,” Nina Teicholz, a nutrition expert and author, wrote on her Substack, Unsettled Science. She added that plant proteins often contain extra carbohydrates, which could complicate efforts to combat obesity and diabetes.
The committee recommends six daily servings of grains, limiting refined grains to three. Despite health concerns about refined carbohydrates, the DGAC retained them in the guidelines for their nutrients such as iron and folate.
Teicholz questioned this decision, pointing out that red meat, a natural source of bioavailable heme iron and folate, is simultaneously being reduced.
The committee emphasizes a diet centered on whole foods—vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and fish—while also recommending water as the primary beverage and continuing to suggest low-fat or nonfat dairy products.
From Food Pyramid to Flawed Policy
For decades, the Dietary Guidelines have shaped how Americans eat, but their legacy is marked by controversy. Introduced in 1980, they shifted focus from overall nutrition to targeting fat intake, blaming dietary fat for heart disease and urging Americans to swap butter for margarine and adopt low-fat, high-carbohydrate diets.Although the food pyramid was officially retired in 2011 and replaced by MyPlate, its legacy persists, as the broad messaging it promoted about grains, fats, and sugars continues to influence dietary habits.
“Even though it meant to encourage consumption of whole grains and small portion sizes, the pyramid’s putting grains as the foundation of a healthy diet inadvertently induced the food industry to vigorously market highly processed grain products,” Marion Nestle, a food policy expert and former DGAC member, told The Epoch Times in an email.
“The problem with the food pyramid is not the emphasis on grains and grain products,” Monteiro told The Epoch Times in an email. “It is the failure to distinguish whole grains from processed and ultra-processed products.”
While refined carbohydrates, such as sugars and sweets, are placed at the top to be consumed sparingly, the pyramid’s wide base for grains does not differentiate between whole and refined options. Monteiro added that this oversight extends to other categories such as meat, dairy, and fruits and persists in newer models, such as MyPlate, that also overlook food processing.
“The guidelines were based on weak science—namely, epidemiological studies,” Teicholz told The Epoch Times. “With these studies, it’s easy to get a desired result.”
Ultra-Processed Foods: A Test for Kennedy
Ultra-processed foods make up nearly 60 percent of the average American’s daily calorie intake, dominating grocery shelves and diets. These include packaged snacks, sugary cereals, frozen meals, and soft drinks, many of which are made with ingredients such as high-fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, and artificial flavorings. While convenient and shelf-stable, they are strongly linked to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.The DGAC declined to make specific recommendations against ultra-processed foods, citing limited research.
“To set national policy, you need robust evidence,” Mattes said. “Right now, there’s only one small randomized controlled trial on this issue; it’s just not enough.”
Teicholz highlighted the challenges of focusing on ultra-processed foods, calling the term “poorly defined.” She cautioned that sweeping changes, such as removing processed meats—a key protein source in school lunches—based on limited science could backfire without addressing the more pressing problems of excess sugars and refined grains.
Countries such as Brazil, France, and Israel have adopted dietary guidelines that explicitly advise reducing ultra-processed foods. Advocates view these policies as models for the United States to follow in combating diet-related chronic diseases. However, the DGAC’s cautious stance indicates the United States may lag behind in adopting similar measures.
Confronting Corporate Capture
Do the Guidelines Work? A Mixed Report Card
The Dietary Guidelines have a broad influence but limited success in improving Americans’ diets. On average, Americans score just 58 out of 100 on the Healthy Eating Index, which measures how closely diets align with the guidelines.“We can’t just issue directives and expect people to comply,” he said. “Effective change requires understanding the barriers people face and tailoring guidance to meet them where they are.”
Reform or Reinvention: The Path Forward for Kennedy
Nestle said she believes Kennedy has significant influence over the guidelines, as their finalization rests with HHS and USDA leadership.
“The Secretaries appoint a joint committee to do the writing, and Congress can also weigh in,” she wrote in an email to The Epoch Times, adding that Kennedy would work with the USDA secretary to shape the direction of the guidelines.
However, Nestle cautioned that food industry lobbying and the demand for unreasonable levels of evidence have long obstructed reform efforts. She acknowledged the difficulty of relying on incomplete or evolving science to drive policy change.
Nestle admitted uncertainty about how Kennedy will approach his role.
“I have absolutely no idea what he might do if appointed,” she said, noting the slow pace and resistance often accompanying federal processes.
On whether Kennedy’s ideas align with evidence-based solutions, she offered a nuanced view. “Some are, and some are not,” she wrote. “My plan is to support the ones that have some science behind them, and oppose the ones that don’t.”
Kennedy’s exact plans for the guidelines remain unclear. His outspoken criticism of corporate influence suggests he may push for significant reform. Still, it remains to be seen whether he will work within the existing framework or chart an entirely new course.
While Kennedy’s reforms could take years to materialize, there are steps individuals can take now to improve their diets and reduce disease risk. Focusing on whole, minimally processed foods while cutting back on sugary drinks and ultra-processed snacks is a practical starting point. Small, consistent changes such as cooking more meals at home or swapping sodas for water can significantly reduce diet-related health risks.
The 2025 Dietary Guidelines may be a critical measure of Kennedy’s ability to influence federal nutrition policy. Will he succeed in reshaping federal nutrition policy and fulfilling his promise to make America healthier, or will he be constrained by the entrenched forces he seeks to challenge?
As Teicholz put it in her Substack article, “The health of our nation depends on it.”
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