October 29, 2026, 5:33 p.m. ET
An international team of nutrition experts has released a global food pyramid for the first time – and it looks different from what Americans have been told to eat.
The International Food Pyramid was developed following an analysis of dietary guidelines from Canada, Germany, Australia, China, the Netherlands, the United States and the Nordic countries by 22 “leading nutrition scientists” from around the world. This, along with a review of more than 250 scientific publications, resulted in a food pyramid that emphasizes plant-based sources of protein and fat, limits animal products, and emphasizes the importance of consuming the right kind of carbohydrates.
That picture is very different from the one presented in January by the U.S. Department of Agriculture under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., which was based on “modern nutrition science” and federal health data, according to the agency.
“Despite what people often hear, there is actually substantial consensus in the nutritional sciences on the foundations of a healthy diet,” Karen Della Corte, a nutrition scientist, assistant professor at Brigham Young University and lead author, said in a press release. “We wanted to bring together these common principles and translate a vast body of scientific evidence into a coherent and practical food guide pyramid. »
See the international food pyramid
The pyramid, published online in the peer-reviewed journal Advances in Nutrition on September 23, focuses on three fundamental tips.
1. Make plant foods the basis of a healthy diet: The foundation of this pyramid harks back to the past, with an emphasis on vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes. It emphasizes plant proteins, but does not exclude animal sources. Animal foods like seafood, poultry, eggs and yogurt are incorporated in smaller quantities.
2. Choose healthier sources of fat and protein: Poultry and fish are preferred over red meat, which research shows increases cholesterol levels and the risk of heart disease, and dairy products are suggested in modest amounts. Suggested plant-based protein sources include beans, legumes, nuts, seeds and soy. Preferred fat sources include nuts, seeds and, despite popular pressure against seed oils, unsaturated vegetable oils. Unsaturated fats from sources such as olive, canola, soybean, sunflower, peanut and other vegetable oils are preferred over animal-based fats, such as butter, lard and beef tallow.
3. Favor the quality of carbohydrates: “Carbs” isn’t a bad word in this pyramid, but it prioritizes choosing the right ones. It suggests low-glycemic whole-grain foods and carbohydrate sources rich in dietary fiber, intact plant cells, and micronutrients, such as oats, barley, whole-wheat products, and brown rice. He also suggests limiting sugars from nutrient-poor foods, like soda or candy. Eat refined grains, red and processed meat, butter, salt, and traditional “junk foods” like chips and sweets sparingly.
The authors said these general rules can be modified to accommodate different dietary restrictions, such as vegetarianism and veganism, and to reflect the place and culture in which people cook and eat.
International guidance against RFK Jr.’s American food pyramid.
The United States stopped using the pyramid model for dietary guidelines in 2011 when it adopted a design more resembling a plate. The RFK Jr.-led Department of Health and Human Services returned to the familiar relic from the ’90s and ’00s when it issued new guidelines in January, effectively turning it around.
Grains, which once formed the basis of the suggested diet when the first pyramid was adopted in the 1990s, have been moved to the smaller group at the bottom. Instead, advice focused on protein, dairy, fruits and vegetables, and “healthy fats” as foods that should be eaten in abundance.
The new pyramid emphasized several foods historically recommended in moderation, particularly red meat, full-fat dairy, and trans and saturated fats. These categories correspond to the message favored by RFK Jr. as part of the “Make America Healthy Again” movement, which promoted beef tallow and opposed added sugar.
The pyramid still capped saturated fat at 10 percent of your daily calories and suggested getting “healthy fats” from naturally occurring whole food sources, like avocado. He also limited sugar to 10 mg per meal.
Recommendations regarding alcohol consumption have also changed significantly. Instead of an acceptable numerical limit on drinks per day, which was up to one for women and two for men, it is simply asked to minimize consumption.
Although several health organizations applauded certain aspects of the new guidelines, such as an emphasis on more whole foods and fewer processed foods, some recommendations urged caution.
“Several aspects of the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines are poised to promote healthy eating and reduce the risk of disease,” Karen Peterson, associate director of the Michigan Nutrition Obesity Research Center and chair of nutritional sciences at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, told USA TODAY. “However, advocating the consumption of high-fat red meat and dairy products without specific guidelines regarding portion sizes and portions can easily thwart consumers’ efforts to simultaneously keep energy intake from saturated fat below 10%.”
These warnings were echoed by the authors of the new pyramid, who said: “There is significant concern that certain dietary recommendations, such as those related to prioritizing dietary protein and fat, may promote dietary patterns associated with adverse cardiometabolic outcomes, increased environmental burden, and reduced affordability for large segments of the population.” »
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