Can we just say? It's about time.
For years, anyone paying even a little attention to nutrition has known the U.S. food pyramid was backward. Americans were told to prioritize grains and carbohydrates, minimize fats, and treat protein like a side chick. And then we all acted shocked when obesity, diabetes, and metabolic disease skyrocketed.
The updated Dietary Guidelines released by the Trump administration represent the most meaningful reset of federal nutrition policy in decades. By prioritizing real food over ultra-processed junk, added sugars, and refined carbohydrates, these guidelines bring common sense and actual science back into the conversation. Real food is once again positioned as the foundation for preventing chronic disease and supporting long-term health.
And honestly? That matters.
Like many of you, I grew up eating sugar for breakfast. That's not a knock on my parents; they were doing what they were taught was right. Cereal was "healthy." Juice was "fruit." Corn and carrots were counted as vegetables, even though both behave more like carbohydrates once you look at their glycemic index.
That confusion wasn't accidental. It was institutional.
For years, RFK Jr. has publicly criticized the cozy relationship between federal health agencies and the food and pharmaceutical industry lobbyists, especially when it comes to additives, ultra-processed foods, and chronic disease. As part of the MAHA framework, he consistently argued that chronic illness, obesity, and cognitive decline are downstream effects of bad incentives and outdated nutrition science, not personal failure alone.
When I realized I was personally failing, I started getting into nutrition in college while playing volleyball, and remember watching people order salads and then absolutely DROWNING them in ranch and thinking, "You might as well just eat a burger." And listen… no burger slander here, I still enjoy them, too.
But those moments stuck with me. It was the first time I realized how many of our "healthy habits" were really just leftovers from outdated advice we learned as kids.
Lucky Charms for breakfast? Sure… enjoy the sugar high. And really enjoy the crash that comes later.
In my late 20s, I started competing in bodybuilding, and that's when my relationship with food finally clicked. Prioritizing protein. Choosing whole foods over processed ones. Understanding that just because something is marketed as "healthy" doesn't mean it actually is.
There are plenty of products out there masquerading as wellness foods. They're still ultra-processed, still full of junk — just with protein powder or collagen sprinkled in for optics. Are they better than a candy bar? Sure. Are they health foods? Not exactly.
And sometimes… yes, you just want a Snickers. That's fine, too.
Which brings us to the real point of the updated food pyramid: balance.
Hallelujah.
This isn't about restriction or perfection. It's about the 80/20 rule. Eighty percent of what you eat should come from whole, nutrient-dense foods. Limit added sugars — especially given the growing evidence linking excess sugar consumption to cognitive decline and diseases like Alzheimer's and dementia.
The other 20 percent? That's life. Dessert on the weekend. A glass of wine with friends. The occasional indulgence without guilt-tripping yourself.
Balance is the goal.
And that's what makes this reset so important. It pushes back against decades of guidance shaped less by health outcomes and more by lobbying, convenience, and food-industry economics. It encourages Americans to prioritize what actually fuels their bodies instead of blindly trusting labels stamped with government approval.
As the American Italian Food Coalition put it, "The updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans recognize what Italian and Mediterranean food traditions have demonstrated for centuries: no single food determines health. Instead, balance, moderation, and variety across all food groups are the keys to long-term wellness."
Honestly? Couldn't agree more.
That said, history shows Americans aren't exactly great at moderation. That part still requires personal responsibility and lifestyle changes. No pyramid can do the work for you.
But this is a step in the right direction.
The guidance is clearer. The priorities make sense. And for once, the federal government isn't telling us to eat like it's 1994. So, thank you, President Trump and RFK Jr., for bringing some common sense back into nutrition.
The question is: Are we ready to follow it?