US Health and Human Services Secretary (HSS) Robert F Kennedy Jr is set to reveal new ‘dietary guidelines’ for all US citizens. The unveiling comes just weeks after he vowed to end the United States' ‘war on saturated fats’.
In the past, the 71-year-old has not been shy about his disdain for the current US food guidelines, while also highlighting his love for the carnivore diet and making a major bid to eliminate petroleum-based synthetic dyes.
As well as urging Americans to lay off undefined ‘ultra-processed foods’, the former environmental attorney has promised to update and publish dietary guidelines that will ‘stress the importance of [eating] protein and saturated fats.’
“I think that will really revolutionise the food system in the country, the food culture in this country,” he said in November 2025.
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According to a new report by The Hill, the dietary guidelines are expected to be published by the Departments of Health and Human Services and Agriculture this week.
The HHS said the upcoming document revision would contain information ‘rooted in rigorous science’.
Kyle Diamantas, the deputy commissioner for human foods at the FDA, warned the report would ‘be small’ and ‘streamlined’.
Past dietary guidelines and how they shape the food landscape
Food documents dictating what you should and shouldn’t eat are updated every five years, but have not changed much in substance since they were first published in 1980, according to the New York Times.
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Previous editions have consistently included advice to consume plenty of fruits and vegetables, while urging Americans to prioritise lower-fat dairy products and lean sources of protein.
In the past, the legislation has also recommended limiting the consumption of alcohol, added sugars, sodium, and saturated fats.
However, experts believe there may be recommendations to eat more red meat, dairy, saturated fat, and ultra-processed foods.
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While RFK Jr. is overseeing the guideline update, it’s not clear whether experts are advising him, or how they are evaluating scientific evidence, said Dr. Walter Willett, a professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
He told the New York Times that until there is greater transparency, the rules will be viewed with ‘skepticism’ by many in the health space.
According to Marion Nestle, a professor emerita of nutrition, food studies and public health at New York University, the guidelines will help ‘determine what’s on the menus at day cares, schools and military cafeterias’.
It will also influence foods offered in Meals on Wheels programs and affect federal-assisted programs, such as SNAP benefits and Women, Infants, and Children.
Current guidelines on saturated fat
RFK Jr has spoken at length about saturated fat, which is found in a number of everyday foods, including cured meats, pastries, and ice cream, to name a few.
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Currently, US dietary guidelines state that you should eat no more than 20 grams of saturated fat per day.
Last year, research funded by the British Heart Foundation (BHF) found that a diet high in saturated fat is more dangerous for the heart than a diet high in unsaturated fat.
People on this diet had a roughly 20 percent rise in fat in their liver and around 10 percent higher blood cholesterol levels after just 24 days, compared to before they started the diet.
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It’s not currently known whether the 20g goalpost will be moved in the new nutritional legislation.
Ella Scott