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WASHINGTON,January 7,2026 – Health and Human Services Secretary RFK Jr. unveiled Wednesday new dietary guidelines that dramatically shift conventional wisdom, placing red meat and full-fat dairy at the top of a newly inverted food pyramid and relegating carbohydrates too the bottom.
A return to Red Meat? New Guidelines Spark Debate
The recommendations, seemingly untethered from established scientific research, appear to align more closely with advice from hypermasculine influencers.
- The new food pyramid prioritizes red meat and full-fat dairy.
- The guidelines have sparked criticism from nutritionists and health organizations.
- The recommendations appear influenced by trends promoted by online influencers, particularly those popular with young men.
- Concerns exist about the potential health and environmental impacts of increased meat consumption.
The guidelines, released by the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Commitee, represent a significant departure from decades of nutritional advice. While previous iterations emphasized fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, the new pyramid places these foods lower down, suggesting they should be consumed in smaller quantities.
“It’s a really strange set of recommendations,” says Marion nestle, a professor emerita of nutrition, food studies, and public health at New York University. “It’s as if they’re trying to go back to the 1950s.”
The shift has drawn criticism from nutritionists and health organizations, who argue that the recommendations are not supported by scientific evidence. “There’s a lot of really good science that shows that diets high in red and processed meat are associated with increased risk of chronic diseases,” says Dr. Walter Willett, a professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan school of Public Health.
The new guidelines also appear to overlook the benefits of othre nutrient-rich foods. “There’s a lot of nuance in nutrition that these other nutrients have,” she says. Though, the new guidelines appear to overlook discussions around the benefits of foods like cottage cheese, favored by menopause influencers, in favor of a red-meat-centric approach.
“Most of us eat, actually, way too much protein. I do worry about the longer term health impacts of these kinds of recommendations.”
Advocates of high-protein diets can be found across a range of platforms, including those frequented by supporters of former President Trump. Figures like Joe Rogan and Jordan Peterson-the latter known for his “all beef” diet-and the so-called Liver King are often associated with the idea that a high-protein diet is essential for masculinity.These influencers frequently promote fitness shakes, supplement powders, and the notion that protein is key to achieving a desired physique.
The association of gender with certain foods isn’t new, but the enthusiastic embrace of these perceptions is a recent development, says Elaine Power, a dietician and professor at Queen’s University who studies food, gender, and health. In studies conducted a decade ago, participants initially denied that foods were gendered, but would then identify salads as “women’s food” and steaks as “men’s food.”
Power notes she isn’t sure she’d receive the same response if she repeated the experiment today.
A 2023 study titled “Healthful Eating as a Manhood Threat” found that men often avoid foods perceived as feminine,often opting for meat. This trend appears to be particularly pronounced among young men,with recent research suggesting a greater proportion are eating meat daily and taking protein supplements.Many cited a desire for a more muscular physique-the aesthetic often advertised by macho influencers, some of whom have faced controversy related to steroid use.
The physiques promoted by these influencers are often unattainable,and consuming excess protein is often unnecessary. “Most of us eat, actually, way too much protein,” Power says. “I do worry about the longer term health impacts of these kinds of recommendations.”
Beyond its environmental impact-beef production is linked to deforestation-excessive meat consumption has negative health effects, including an increased risk of cancer and heart disease, even in young people. The American Heart Association praised the new pyramid’s suggestions to limit highly processed foods but stated its disagreement with the emphasis on meat and RFK Jr.’s stated aim of “ending the war on saturated fats.”
The guidelines are currently recommendations only, with limited direct policy influence. They may eventually inform changes to school and
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