Key Differences
- Added Sugars: Older guidelines suggested <10% daily calories; new ones push for near-zero, with a strict cap of 10g/meal, advising avoidance, especially for kids, and banning non-nutritive sweeteners.
- Protein: Moved from a minimum (0.8g/kg) to a higher range (1.2-1.6g/kg), encouraging more intake for satiety and displacing processed carbs.
- Fats: A significant shift from minimizing all fats (including saturated) to encouraging full-fat dairy and naturally occurring fats, ending the "war on saturated fats".
- Processed Foods: New guidelines strongly advise avoiding "highly processed" foods as a category, a significant departure from prior focus on individual nutrients.
- Alcohol: Previous limits (1 drink/day women, 2 men) removed, replaced with a general "consume less" message and warnings for vulnerable groups.
- Food Labeling: New mandatory front-of-package (FOP) labels for sugar, sodium, and saturated fat, plus updated "healthy" claim definitions (e.g., excluding sweetened cereals).
- Microbiome: Introduction of gut health considerations, linking diet to microbiome health.
Old Guidelines (Previous Iterations)
- Focus on limiting total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium.
- "Healthy" label required 10% DV for Vitamin A, C, Calcium, Iron, Protein, or Fiber.
- Emphasis on whole grains over dairy/protein in visual pyramids.
The New Focus (2025-2030)
- "Eat real food" mantra.
- Prioritize protein, full-fat dairy, healthy fats, fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and seafood.
- Use new FOP labels for quick decisions.
- Designed to combat chronic diseases like obesity and diabetes.
