The New Food Pyramid… What you need to know?
The official “new food pyramid” is basically one sentence: eat real food again.
For years, nutrition advice has felt like a tug-of-war between trends, “hacks,” and conflicting headlines.
What’s interesting about the 2025–2030 scientific foundation for the Dietary Guidelines is how blunt it is about the real problem:
Most of the American diet isn’t food… it’s highly processed stuff pretending to be food.
THE BIG NUMBER THAT SHOULD WAKE US UP
The scientific report says highly processed foods and beverages now account for about two-thirds of calories for U.S. youth/adolescents and about 60% for U.S. adults. Real Food
That matters because these products aren’t just “convenient.” They’re typically built from refined grains/sugars/starches and refined oils, plus industrial additives designed to make them hyper-palatable and easy to overeat. Real Food
A SIMPLE FILTER: “IS THIS PROCESSED?”
The report gives a practical way to spot highly processed foods:
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Refined grains and/or added sugars
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Refined fats/oils
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Long ingredient list with additives (sweeteners, colors, emulsifiers, flavor enhancers, etc.) Real Food
If your “food” checks those boxes most of the time, you’re fighting an uphill battle no matter how “motivated” you are.
ADDED SUGAR IS STILL INSANE
The report notes added sugar intake peaked around 27 teaspoons/day in 1999, and even after declines, it’s still about 22 teaspoons per day today (about 14% of total food energy). Real Food
And one of the clearest targets is sugar-sweetened beverages (soda, fruit drinks, many energy drinks). In the research summary, each 12-ounce can per day is associated with higher risk markers (including higher risk for all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes). Real Food
SO WHAT’S THE “NEW PYRAMID” ACTUALLY SAY?
The Eat Real Food guidance puts “real food” back at the center and makes the priorities easy:
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Protein, dairy, and healthy fats are foundational (protein target: 1.2–1.6 g/kg/day).
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Vegetables: 3 servings/day.
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Fruits: 2 servings/day.
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Whole grains: 2–4 servings/day (and a clear push to reduce refined carbs). Eat Real Food
It also defines “real food” as whole/minimally processed foods that are recognizable as food and prepared without added sugars, industrial oils, artificial flavors, or preservatives. Eat Real Food
OKAY… BUT WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE ON A PLATE?
The Daily Serving Sizes sheet gives a simple “by-calorie-level” starting point.
For a typical 2,000-calorie pattern, the targets are roughly:
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Protein foods: 2.5–3.5 servings/day
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Dairy: 3 servings/day
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Vegetables: 3 servings/day
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Fruits: 2 servings/day
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Whole grains: 2–4 servings/day
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Healthy fats: about 4.5 teaspoons/day Real Food
And their serving examples make it practical:
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Protein serving: 3 oz cooked meat/poultry/seafood, or 1 egg, or 1/2 cup beans/lentils, or 1 oz nuts/seeds
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Dairy serving: 1 cup milk, 3/4 cup yogurt, or 1 oz cheese
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Whole grain serving examples include 1 slice bread or 1 tortilla Real Food
WHAT TO DO THIS WEEK (NO PERFECTION REQUIRED)
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Build 2–3 repeatable home meals.
Pick meals you’ll actually make on busy nights. Keep them “real food” simple:
Protein + produce + smart carb (optional) + healthy fat
Examples:
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Eggs + berries + yogurt
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Chicken + frozen veggie mix + rice
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Beef/turkey + salad kit + potatoes
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Greek-style bowl: meat/beans + veggies + olive oil-based dressing (watch added sugar)
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Make water your default drink.
If you do nothing else, cutting the daily sugary drink habit is one of the highest-impact changes you can make. Real Food
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Use the ingredient-list rule.
If it reads like a chemistry project, it’s probably not helping your health goals. Real Food
Keep snacks inside “healthy claim” sugar limits (easy guardrail).
The serving-size sheet even lists added sugar limits for certain snack categories (example: grain snacks like crackers shouldn’t exceed 5g added sugar per 3/4 oz whole-grain equivalent). Real Food
If you want my simple “Foundations” meal formula + grocery list, comment FOUNDATIONS and I’ll send it. Just text 330-221-1547.
-Coach Seth
