Foods that Americans were told to avoid for decades are back under Trump's new nutrition rulesBy Andrea Margolis Published January 18, 2026 11:01am PST Foods that Americans were advised to avoid for decades are back on shopping lists — following updated federal dietary guidance released under President Donald Trump's administration. After years of being told to avoid full-fat dairy, red meat and saturated fats like butter and beef tallow, the White House said updated guidance no longer broadly discourages those foods when consumed in moderation. The changes reflect revisions to federal nutrition recommendations developed through the Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Agriculture (USDA), rather than a wholesale reversal of prior advice. Image: Dietary Guidelines for Americans, Department of Health & Human Services It doesn't mean that every fatty food is encouraged. For example, experts still caution against eating too many processed snacks that are high in saturated fat such as chips, cookies and ice cream. HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said he was "ending the war on saturated fats" — though the updated report continues to recommend limits on daily intake. "Protein and healthy fats are essential and were wrongly discouraged in prior dietary guidelines," he said. Here's a handy summary of which foods are back — and how federal guidance and nutrition experts say they should be consumed. 1. Full-fat milk and yogurt The new 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans describe full-fat milk and yogurt as "healthy fats." "In general, saturated fat consumption should not exceed 10% of total daily calories," the report states. "Significantly limiting highly processed foods will help meet this goal. More high-quality research is needed to determine which types of dietary fats best support long-term health." Full-fat dairy is packed with fat-soluble vitamins such as vitamin A, D, E and K, which "allows for better transportation and absorption," said Amy Goldsmith, a Maryland-based registered dietitian and owner of Kindred Nutrition. "There can also be an increased satiation from the products, as the fat will decrease [the hormone] ghrelin," she told Fox News Digital. Goldsmith noted saturated fat should still be portioned, even if not completely cut out. "This is the nuance with the new dietary guidelines," she said. "As dietitians, we want to ensure this visualization [doesn't lead] to an increase in saturated fat, as it could contribute to an increase in chronic disease." There's usually less added sugar in full-fat products, she noted, but they still need to be portioned out to avoid the consumption of too much saturated fat and total calories. 2. Butter The Trump administration's new report lists butter as one of several fats that may be used in cooking, while prioritizing unsaturated oils. "When cooking with or adding fats to meals, prioritize oils with essential fatty acids, such as olive oil," according to the guidelines. "Other options can include butter or beef tallow." Goldsmith said butter is a great source of vitamin A, which is "essential for vision and immune health." It also has vitamin E, an antioxidant, and vitamin K2 — which "ensures calcium is used to strengthen bones and teeth." "It also is the best source of butyric acid, which serves as an anti-inflammatory," Goldsmith said. "Most butters are 60–70% saturated fat… so it will be difficult to keep total saturated fat intake within recommended limits if portion and volume aren't taken into consideration," she added. "In addition, if someone already has a high LDL cholesterol, butter would not be the best source of spread as it can continue to contribute to increasing LDL." 3. Beef tallowBeef tallow is high in vitamin A, D, E and K, similar to other animal-based fats. Goldsmith also noted that 40–50% of beef tallow is monounsaturated fat, a proportion comparable to some plant-based oils. "The other 50% is saturated fat, however. So once again, serving size and volume need to be considered to keep saturated fat below 10% of total calories," she said. "In addition, beef tallow can be more expensive than butter and difficult to get." 4. Red meat Red meat contains essential amino acids that can't be produced by the human body, a dietitian said. (Getty Images) The new report recommends "[consuming] a variety of protein foods from animal sources, including eggs, poultry, seafood and red meat, as well as a variety of plant-sourced protein foods, including beans, peas, lentils, legumes, nuts, seeds and so." Goldsmith noted that red meat contains all nine of the essential amino acids that can't be produced by the human body alone. "About 60% of the iron in meat is heme iron, and it's one of the best sources of zinc," she said. "Heme iron is absorbed into the gut fast, which means it can rapidly restore ferritin, your iron stores." Red meat's zinc is also crucial for immune cells and inflammation control. "The new dietary guidelines stuck with the recommendation to keep saturated fat below 10% and, on average, red meat is 40–45% saturated fat," Goldsmith said. "It will be important to vary animal protein to keep the saturated fat number down as high saturated fat diets contribute to heart disease and cancers." Read more from FOX News Digital ARTICLE SOURCE: https://www.ktvu.com/news/foods-americans-were-told-avoid-decades-back-under-trumps-new-nutrition-rules
I don't think I ever posted one of these in the first place so here goes
I am 51 and have been trying to be healthy most of my adult life. I have been overweight or obese that entire time 5'8" 200-215#.
I have tried atkins in the early 2000's, food tracking, juice fasting, HIIT, whole thirty, and whole food plant based, and finally omad. The fasting helped me to break through to a new weight loss plateau. All of the previous methods lost and regained the same 15#. I was finally down to 185 ish. I watched a lot of carnivore content before trying it full time February of 24.
I don't have any local support for fasting, but the attitude has softened a bit about the carnivore. My family wants to loose weight, but they won't give up carbs %100. I have gotten them to be low carb most days, but they still want pancakes on Sundays.
This past fall, probably around Thanksgiving, I don't remember the particulars, I just threw in the towel. I know I weighed 178 the morning of my colonoscopy in late October.
I guess I was feeling afraid of being orthorexic. I was also overwhelmed with being a short order cook trying to accommodate everyone's tastes
So found my self stepping on the scale to the tune of 205# sometime around Easter.
Two days later I decided to "Stop the insanity" as Susan powder used to scream from the boob tube in the 80s.
Today I weigh 194#
My why is that I want to grow old without being trapped in the malady maintenance system. I watched my grandma and my MIL linger in a confused state for over a decade. I don't want any part of that. I want to be useful and connected right to the end. Not sitting or laying in my own mess waiting to die.
I also want to be optimized.
I feel like the only way to get people to get on board is to fully succeed. I can't win anyone over if I am constantly jumping ship.
So every moment I can get, I listen to testimonials. I learned about this forum, by watching @Geezy tell his story on YouTube.
I don't have any major illnesses, I've never had boils, T2D or high blood pressure. I have never been diagnosed with IBS but Im sure I had it whenever I ate seed oils.
I am feeling a bit frustrated in my body as I approach menopause, but I don't think there is anything my doctor can do about that. I don't accept this as the new normal, when I know there is work that I could be doing to correct course.
I plan to hit an ideal weight not for vanity, but that I can be a poster child worthy of the title carnivore!
Happy Mother's Day everyone!