The New Year is a time when many Americans make resolutions to ditch bad habits and improve their health. In that same spirit, the Trump administration is excited to announce the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030, marking the most significant reset of federal nutrition policy in our nation’s history.
The message is simple and should be non-controversial: eat real food.
That means more protein, dairy, vegetables, fruits, healthy fats and whole grains. Paired with a dramatic reduction in highly processed foods — which are often laden with refined carbohydrates, added sugars, excess sodium, unhealthy fats and chemical additives — this approach has the potential to improve the health trajectory of Americans.
These improvements are long overdue. It’s no secret that the United States is currently facing a national health emergency. Nearly 90% of healthcare spending goes toward treating people with chronic diseases. Many of these illnesses are not due to genetic destiny; they are the predictable result of the standard American diet — a diet high in processed foods, added sugars, unhealthy fats and sodium, while being low in fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
The consequences have been devastating. More than 70% of American adults are overweight or obese, and nearly one in three American adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 has prediabetes.
While these statistics constitute a tragedy for the individuals directly affected, they have also put our national security at risk. Diet-driven chronic disease now disqualifies large numbers of young Americans from military service, undermining national readiness and cutting off a historic pathway to opportunity and upward mobility.
For decades, federal incentives have promoted low-quality, highly processed foods and pharmaceutical intervention instead of prevention. This has been a recipe for disaster, and it was the inevitable outcome of poor policy choices, inadequate nutrition research and a lack of coordination across federal, state, local and private partners.
Thanks to the bold leadership of President Donald Trump, this string of failure ends today.
At long last, we are realigning our food system to support American farmers, ranchers and companies that grow and produce real food. Farmers and ranchers are at the forefront of the solution, whether they raise beef, provide dairy, or harvest nourishing fruits and vegetables.
These Dietary Guidelines recognize that the national health crisis affects us all and must be addressed through a holistic nationwide effort. We are calling on everyone — especially healthcare professionals, insurers, educators, community leaders, industry and lawmakers across all levels of government — to join in.
Together, we can shift our food system away from chronic disease and toward nourishment, resilience and long-term health.
As we ring in the new year, let’s recommit to Making America Healthy Again, affecting real improvement through real food.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is the 26th secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
