The very foundation of the food pyramid is basically what to eat more and less of.
I am sure many of you remember sitting in school being shown a food pyramid in a health education class.
The History of the Food Pyramid
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The concept of the food pyramid came from Sweden in 1974 and in the USA it was 1992. The first Australian Healthy Eating Pyramid was introduced in 1980.
Our original food pyramid recommended eating more breads, cereals, legumes, nuts, grains, fruit and vegetables. Our middle layer was to eat meat and dairy moderately and at the top was to eat small amounts of added fats and sugars.
Our last pyramid was released in 2015 and since then we have had a healthy eating guide in the form of a pie chart.
What is RFK Jr’s “Inverted” Pyramid
Last month, US health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. unveiled a completely redesigned food pyramid for 2025–2030. He said the reason for this new pyramid is to get people eating whole foods again, a big move away from ultra processed foods, added sugars and refined carbohydrates.
As a long-term plan this will lessen the burden on the healthcare system, if people actually comply with it.
When you first take a look at the pyramid it looks excellent to see all the real whole foods and a priority on protein, healthy fats, vegetables and fruit. But on a deeper dive there are, in my opinion, some tweaks that would improve it.
So what is new about this model? Well, it is the old pyramid turned upside down. Protein, dairy and healthy fats on one side of the top band, alongside vegetables and fruits on the other, with whole grains now shrunk to the smallest segment at the bottom.
You will also notice there are no longer fat-free products — finally we are moving away from the fat-free movement.
It also sharply criticises ultra-processed foods and explicitly tells Americans to avoid packaged, sweet and salty ultra-processed products in favour of returning to the kitchen and making home-cooked, healthy nutrient-dense meals.
Protein targets and full-fat dairy
What is great news as well about the new guidelines is they have changed the protein targets from 0.8 g/kg/day which is just enough to avoid being deficient to 1.2–1.6 g/kg/day, with a strong emphasis on including a high-protein food at every meal.
The new US health pyramid. Credit: realfood.gov
Where the New Guidelines Fail: The Saturated Fat Contradiction
Where I feel this could have been improved would be to have more plant based proteins such as tofu and legumes, as well as lean animal protein such as white fish, turkey breast, pork fillet and chicken without the skin.
The pyramid strongly promotes red meat, full-fat dairy, butter, beef tallow and chicken with the skin on but at the same time claims that saturated fat should still stay under 10 per cent of energy. This does not make sense and I am not sure how this would work out. It really is an internal contradiction.
Where this new pyramid does get it right is with the clear downgrading of ultra-processed foods.
Currently, Americans get more than half their calories from ultra-processed products, a pattern strongly associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Australia is in a similar position with about 40 per cent of our current diet from processed food.
The increase in protein recommendations for many adults, especially older people and those with obesity or sarcopenia risk, is great news. This change will help with supporting muscle maintenance, satiety and cardiometabolic health when the protein sources are mostly lean and plant-based.
Also, a priority on protein will help with their obesity epidemic as people will feel full when prioritising protein.
I also have to mention how prominent vegetables and fruits at the top of the pyramid are. This aligns with decades of data linking higher plant intake to lower risk of premature mortality, cardiovascular disease, stroke and several cancers.
Currently in Australia only 6 per cent of Australians are eating the recommended daily intake of vegetables.
These new guidelines also bring gut health and the microbiome into the discussion for the first time. They encourage high-fibre, minimally processed foods and fermented products.
I also have to add how good it is to see a big bottle of extra virgin olive oil in the centre focusing on healthy fats which are so important for the brain, heart and lowering inflammation.
Where this conflicts with established evidence is the really strong visual and promotion of red meat, full-fat dairy, butter and beef tallow as everyday staples, while still nominally capping saturated fat at 10 per cent of energy. Saturated fats are linked to an increased risk of increased LDL cholesterol and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.
In the pyramid whole grains have been visually pushed to the smallest section at the bottom of the pyramid.
The guidelines focus on whole grains including oats, brown rice, quinoa and whole-wheat products with roughly two to four serves per day.
This seems inconsistent with the visual and there is consistent evidence that higher whole-grain intake is linked to lower risk of heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.
The new pyramid is sending the message that grains in general are more of an option and that animal protein and full-fat dairy are the primary path to good health.
Australia’s guide to healthy eating is a pie chart. Credit: eatforhealth.gov.au/Department of Health
The Verdict: A “Real Food” Blueprint for Australia
I believe Australia needs to take the best elements of this new pyramid.
We need to update our current pie chart and healthy eating guidelines for the better health outcomes. The US chart has an emphasis on whole foods and full fat products, recognises the importance of higher protein needs for many adults and focuses on vegetables, fruits and gut health.
I would be cautious about the push towards frequent red meat and chicken with skin on as protein sources and choose a mix of plant-based proteins as well as lean animal protein.
For the majority of people and especially those with cardiometabolic risk, guidelines should blend this “real food” message with the long-standing emphasis on vegetables whole grains, legumes, seafood and mostly unsaturated fats.
