Now that we’ve settled down a bit, my thoughts on the new Food Pyramid

by Gina Forster, MS, RDN, LDN | Jan 20, 2026

I simply couldn’t make this image my “Featured Blog Image”. If you’re confused about the picture featured on the front of this blog post, scroll down! Now for my pros and cons of the pyramid below.

Pros (I’ll try to start on a positive note…)

It’s pretty (although clearly AI). I like the colors and the images, overall. Let’s be honest, the MyPlate.gov site needed a makeover.
It has some more clear guidelines, which is helpful (although unrealistic…). I like how they specifically called out a recommendation for protein: 1.2-1.6g protein per kilogram body weight (although they didn’t call out any recommendation for fiber and also it’s not clear that some people really shouldn’t have 1.2-1.6g protein/kg body weight).
- I tried to be positive. Sorry, I’m struggling here.

Cons

Calling out “Real Food” (I guess their way of saying “whole foods”) is insinuating that anything that isn’t whole, is not real, therefore bad, which perpetuates pernicious black and white thinking.
Telling Americans to only eat “Real Foods”, without also providing the support and resources that it would take to only eat “real foods”, is laughable (or maybe cryable, but that’s not a word). As a privileged white woman, with two degrees in nutrition, I don’t even feel equipped to “only make, eat, and serve to my family “real foods””. Point made.
The pyramid is meant to read from left to right (since that’s how we read). When doing so, we are meant to think that steak/red meat, full fat dairy, and butter are more important than fruits and vegetables. I won’t even elaborate on this, but I’m pretty sure you know this is outrageous. If you want to read about all the reasons fiber is king, buy my book
Red meat, which is seen first on the pyramid, and is therefore meant to be suggested as “most important”, is a “probable carcinogen”. Listen, I’m not saying don’t eat red meat (it’s delicious), but I’m pretty sure making it a main staple in your diet is a bad idea (especially if you have heart disease or diabetes).
- I guess they got one thing right; not highlighting processed meats, which are listed as “carcinogens” (not probable)
This new pyramid is the literal opposite of what decades of research has shown to be the “gold standards” for chronic disease prevention; The DASH Diet and the Mediterranean Diet
The website makes it clear that we need to completely avoid added sugars. While I agree added sugars should be limited, completely avoiding them is near impossible (unless you follow a completely “Real Foods” diet, which as mentioned, is not sustainable nor realistic). When asked, “Is the new pyramid a strict diet?”, they answered, “no”, but in fact, the answer is “absolutely yes”.