Dietary Guidelines for Americans a big change for dairy

Mary Wilcox is the founder of Significant Outcomes LLC, an Ohio-based consultancy, providing technical and business expertise spanning both the dairy and food industries. She holds a B.S. in Biological Science, M.S. in Animal Nutrition and MBA in Business. Learn more at https://significantoutcomesllc.com.

Since being formed, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has been focused on helping Americans eat healthier and providing assistance to America's farmers. Over the course of time, USDA joined forces with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to help educate and communicate these guidelines to consumers through graphical representations, such as The Food Pyramid and My Plate.

Since 1980, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) have been updated every five years based on updated scientific research to inform which types of foods should be served in schools, federal prisons and within programs like the supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) and the supplemental nutrition program for women infants and children (WIC).

The DGA outlines recommendations regarding serving sizes for a variety of food groups based upon caloric intake levels as determined by age, sex, height, weight and levels of physical activity, which are reflected within the USDA Dietary Reference Intakes Calculator for Healthcare Professionals (https://www.nal.usda.gov/human-nutrition-and-food-safety/dri-calculator). Upon their release every five years, public scrutiny of the recommendations and questions on how best to implement them arise.

The recent release of the 2025-2030 DGA garnered a lot of attention due to its reduced size, simplified message to “Eat Real Food” and the issuance of a flipped pyramid graphic. In a joint message, the Secretaries of the HHS and the USDA shared: “American households must prioritize diets built on whole, nutrient dense foods such as protein, dairy, vegetables, fruits, healthy fats, and whole grains paired with a dramatic reduction in highly processed foods laden with carbohydrates, added sugars, excess sodium, unhealthy fats, and chemical additives.“ They also noted that these recommendations were being made in response to dramatic rises in diet-driven chronic diseases such as obesity and diabetes.

The new DGA guidelines prioritize the importance of consuming high-quality, nutrient-dense proteins at every meal to reach a total of 1.2-1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily, which is almost double that of previous recommendations and suggests consuming a variety of protein foods from both animal and plant sources.

A recommendation was also made to prioritize the consumption of three servings of full-fat dairy without added sugars per day based upon individual caloric requirements. Incorporation of healthy fats when cooking was recommended and butter and tallow are now considered acceptable as long as daily saturated fat consumption does not exceed 10% of total calories. Avoidance of highly processed packaged food with added sugars and sodium, and limitations of artificial flavors, petroleum-based dyes, artificial preservatives and low-calorie non-nutritive sweeteners was also advised. In specialized populations, nutrient-dense foods such as full-fat dairy were also recommended for children, pregnant women, lactating women, and some older adults to help meet their calcium, vitamin D, and vitamin B₁₂ requirements.

The shift in guidance related to whole or full-fat dairy as part of a balanced diet is in line with the mounting nutritional science showing the benefits of full-fat dairy foods as it relates to weight gain, neutral or lower risk of heart disease and lower risk of childhood obesity. Shifts in consumer purchases of whole-fat dairy products and the use of butter have already started. However, this guidance could raise consumer awareness further and ultimately drive changes in offerings at retail as the guidelines are rolled out within the SNAP and WIC programs.

In addition, school-aged children will now have more access to full-fat dairy foods that naturally exhibit more texture and flavor as a part of the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP). Flavored yogurt and flavored milk may be limited because added sugars and non-nutritive sweeteners must average less than 10% of calories per meal weekly. As these changes are introduced, formulators may naturally turn to sweet sources of fruits and vegetables to add flavor.

Some of the sweetest fruits are jackfruit, grapes, figs, mangoes and pomegranates. In addition, sweet potatoes, beets, onions, green peas, sweet corn, pumpkin, winter squash, rutabagas, carrots and tomatoes can provide natural sweetness, fiber, vitamins, and minerals which can further boost the nutritional profile of the finished product. Roll out of the new dietary guidelines for federally funded meal programs may require additional innovation and additional funding to improve the nutritional diets of so many.

Pizza, which is a large user of cheese, may also experience some changes based upon these recommendations. Use of whole grain crusts, vegetable toppings and leaner proteins may occur. Combination snack/meal offerings like cheese, yogurt, or cottage cheese in conjunction with fruits, veggies and whole grains will continue to be a quick and easy solution. The guidelines may have shifted, but dairy foods will continue to deliver the nutrition and taste needed by consumers of all ages. DF