Washington state nutrition experts warn new federal dietary guidelines may miss the mark and lack the resources to educate people on the new health movement.
“I think the idea of yes, whole grains, fruits and vegetables, this whole, ‘Eat more real food.’ That is great. But it also kind of leaves out social determinants of health. Not everybody can afford red meat. You can get very healthy protein from lentils and beans and less meat," said Judy Simon, a clinical dietitian nutritionist at the University of Washington Medical Center.
Earlier this month, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins announced new dietary guidelines. The guidelines promote whole foods, proteins and healthy fats. The model illustrates a new food pyramid, one turned upside down. The new model places red meat and dairy products at the top, placing plant based proteins farther down the pyramid and whole grains at the very bottom.
The guidelines suggest limiting highly processed foods and added sugars, and that people consume no more than 10% of their daily total calories from saturated fat while prioritizing healthier fats.
“As Secretary of Health and Human Services, my message is clear: Eat real food,” Kennedy said.
The new food model prioritizes protein and full-fat dairy, and labels butter and beef tallow a “healthy” fats, a shift that concerns some health professionals.
Simon said the emphasis on protein, particularly red meat, contradicts both long-standing research and the government’s previous fat limits for every meal. The new guideline almost doubles the recommended daily protein amount. She said if someone ate red meat at most meals and had three servings of full-fat dairy, they would exceed the recommendation that no more than 10% of daily calories come from saturated fat.
“They are prioritizing red meat along with three servings of full fat milk. They would far exceed the 10% limit on saturated fat,” Simon said.
One of the most notable changes is a prioritization of animal sources within the protein food group instead of a plant forward diet. The new guidelines do list plants as a source of protein however meat is placed with a higher emphasis, as is full fat dairy. Simon said she was disappointed in the new guidelines, hoping it would support the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s finding that plant-based proteins, whole grains and unsaturated fats are linked to lower cardiovascular disease.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans are updated and released every five years by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The guidelines outline a foundation to build federal meal programs such as school lunches, military meals and federal food assistance programs.
Education gaps after SNAP-Ed cuts
Margaret A. Viebrock, who is the Chelan and Douglas Country Director of Washington State University extension campuses, said the guidelines come at a time when nutrition education resources are shrinking. Her nutrition program was defunded in 2025.
WSU Extension was one of the first in the country to receive federal grant funding through a program called SNAP-Ed in 1992. SNAP-Ed is a federally funded program that helps people learn how to cook healthy meals and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
The SNAP-Ed program was defunded following the signing of the One Big Beautiful Bill by President Donald Trump in July last year.
The grant for 2024-25 totaled about $350,000, funding three full-time positions and program costs. When the money dried up in November, three positions were eliminated.
“We had a very robust program in Chelan and Douglas counties where we taught a lot of parents how to prepare food and we worked at the food banks. When that was eliminated from the SNAP-Ed dollars, we were no longer teaching those classes to those audiences that really took information from it,” Viebrock said.
WSU’s SNAP-Ed program supported nutrition education and healthy living habits across Chelan and Douglas counties through food bank and mobile market cooking education, adult nutrition classes, family literacy and wellness programs, and community gardening. The program also taught families how to prepare healthy meals on a budget through classes in schools, churches, libraries and community centers.
The Wenatchee School District was part of a seven week series where WSU Extension provided nutrition education at over 60 classrooms.
“The reduction in these funds is felt by our students. These lessons provided a bridge between the cafeteria and the classroom, helping students and families understand why healthy choices matter,” said Diana Haglund, the communications director of the Wenatchee School District.
Viebrock said education, not just the guidelines, are key to improving public health.
“When money is short it’s hard to figure out what to do and how to fill your family up,” Viebrock said. “There’s a lack of knowing how to cook.”
Impact on schools and food programs
While the dietary guidelines can inform meal pattern standards for school lunches, any changes to school meals must be directed by the USDA.
In a national survey of school nutrition directors, released by the School Nutrition Association, over 79% of respondents reported an extreme need for increased resources to expand scratch cooking and reduce ultra processed foods in school meals.
Leanne Eko, the chief nutrition officer at the Office of State Public Instruction, said it would be premature to speculate on the local school meal budget implications until there is an official change by USDA.
“At this time, the Dietary Guidelines do not result in immediate changes for schools. Washington districts are required to follow the current federally established meal patterns and OSPI will continue to provide technical assistance and conduct compliance monitoring based on those standards until USDA makes regulatory updates,” Eko said.
OSPI has not issued updated guidance in the wake of the changes to the dietary guidelines for Americans or timeline for implementation.
For Simon and Viebrock, the concern is not the idea of whole foods, but the gap between national guidance and people’s daily realities.
“Prices are going up in the grocery store. Not everybody’s salaries are able to keep up with the guidelines,” Simon said.
Reneé Diaz may be contacted at [email protected]. Collaborative reporting by The Wenatchee World, NWPB and Murrow College of Communication Newsroom Fellowship
