The Trump administration has unveiled controversial new dietary advice for Americans, urging a significant increase in daily protein consumption and placing a new emphasis on animal-based sources like red meat and whole milk. The move has been met with immediate scepticism from leading nutrition scientists, who warn it lacks evidence and could worsen public health.
A Major Shift in Nutritional Policy
On Monday 19 January 2026, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the 2025-2030 U.S. Dietary Guidelines with the declaration, "We are ending the war on protein." The guidance, which includes a redesigned food pyramid, instructs Americans to "prioritize protein foods at every meal" and potentially double their intake.
For decades, the recommended daily allowance was 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. The new advice pushes this to between 1.2 and 1.6 grams per kilogram. For an average adult, this means a target of at least 100 grams of protein daily, with half or more recommended to come from animal sources.
Why Experts Are Sounding the Alarm
Prominent nutrition researchers argue that most Americans already consume ample protein, averaging around 100 grams per day for men. They see no scientific basis for a population-wide increase. Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, a nutrition expert at Tufts University, stated that while extra protein can aid those in strength training, for others, "you're getting enough."
In a recent article for the Journal of the American Medical Association, Dr. Mozaffarian elaborated on the risks, noting that excess dietary protein can be converted to fat by the liver. This process can promote dangerous visceral fat around organs and heighten the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Other experts, like Christopher Gardner of Stanford University, fear the guidelines will further confuse the public and accelerate the marketing of protein-enriched junk food. "I think the American public's gonna go buy more junk food," Gardner predicted, pointing to the proliferation of protein-boosted cereals, snacks, and even water.
The Industry Impact and Public Health Consequences
The new guidelines arrive as the food industry is already capitalising on the protein trend. Experts worry the official endorsement will legitimise the sale of highly processed foods with added protein, undermining the parallel guideline to eat more whole foods.
Dr. David Ludwig, an endocrinologist at Boston Children's Hospital, acknowledged that shifting focus from processed carbohydrates could be beneficial, but stressed it is a "tall order" for consumers bombarded with marketed products.
The administration's scientific review cited 30 studies on higher-protein diets and weight management to justify the change, claiming such intakes are "safe and compatible with good health." However, critics counter that studies on weight loss are not a suitable basis for general population advice, and the long-term health implications of this protein push remain a significant concern among the scientific community.
