Is the food pyramid wrong? Here are 5 songs we like in 2026

This week we unveil new nutritional guidelines from the US government. Well, at least the things we like about it.

Disclaimer: We don’t think the 2025 Food Pyramid guidelines are perfect. Far from it – from definitions to quantification, we would like to see much more in the new recommendations made by US Secretary of Health and Human Services RFK Jr.

After all, you can’t place a bottle of olive oil next to a carton of milk in the middle of a pyramid and expect everyone to “get it.” A balanced diet is, we know, much more nuanced than that. Olive oil, yes – we love to see it – but to what extent? As much as milk? You wouldn’t know it, because of the new food pyramid. There is a pleasant feeling of “abundance”, but you cannot have All in the kind of volumes that the new food pyramid seems to suggest.

At TRB, our mantra has always been simple: prioritize real, whole foods. It comes from founder Eloise’s roots: we started with a focus on fertility and evolved into whole-body health. Eating for nourishment and nutritional density could not be more applicable when talking about fertility, pregnancy, parenthood and menopause.

We welcome the real focus on food

Seeing “eating real food” up there in the spotlight is huge, for whole-body health. What the new food pyramid lacks in clarity, it makes up for in its anti-UPF (ultra-processed food) messages.

In reality, we care more about the overall, real-world importance of food right now than the granular details. Let’s hope all this comes.

Here’s what we like about the 2025 food pyramid (the Dietary Guidelines 2025-2030)and how it could start to fit into our daily routines and choices.

1. The fact that a reset has taken place

One of the biggest positives is that the guidelines are reviewed and updated, although infrequently. The modern approach reflects decades of emerging research on metabolic health, ultra-processed foods and chronic diseases.

We highly recommend functional medicine dietitian, author and speaker Ali Miller RD’s. Episode 478 of the Naturally Nourished Podcast for a brief overview of the new food pyramid guidelines – the good and the missing. Co-hosts Ali and Becki Yoo (both MS, RD, LD) address the point that dietary guidelines need to evolve with science, particularly as they relate to insulin resistance, inflammation, and nutrient density.

For families confronting pregnancy, parenthood and long-term well-being, knowing that experts are ready to reevaluate old assumptions is reassuring. Nutrition should not be static.

2. The overarching message “eat real food”

If there is one theme that cuts through the noise of the debate on the 2025 food pyramid, it is this: eat real food.

The focus is now on whole, recognizable ingredients:

• Real food proteins
• Dairy products (or equivalent nutritional alternatives)
• Vegetables and fruits
• Healthy fats
• Whole grains

Less “heart-healthy breakfast cereal,” more “what food did your grandmother recognize?” »

For busy people, this makes things simpler. It’s not about perfection. Most of the time, it’s about building meals around nutrient-rich bases.

3. A drastic reduction in ultra-processed foods

One obvious shift in the debate over the new food pyramid is the call to dramatically reduce highly processed foods.

Unlike older models that gave pride of place to processed grains, the new framework explicitly highlights the risks of diets dominated by packaged snacks, sugary drinks and industrially produced convenience foods.

There’s even a public naming of the Standard American Diet (SAD) in the new guidelines, which is good to see. It recognizes what many health professionals have observed for years: Our food environment, not just individual will, drives disease trends.

For pregnancy and early childhood, this matters a lot. Nutrient density in those First 1,000 days can influence health trajectories throughout life.

4. Chronic diseases are not just “genetic destiny”

The updated pyramid recognizes that chronic illnesses are not automatically written into your DNA.

Yes, genetics plays a very important role. But proactive, upstream health choices – nutrient-rich diet, blood sugar stability, movement, sleep – can significantly influence outcomes.

Prevention before prescription.

For parents, this redefines food choices: how we feed our children is a long-term investment. It’s not just me who’s “that mom” anymore — I’ve chosen to avoid food coloring because I know it’s better for my child’s long-term well-being, and I feel equipped to explain it to them.

5. Nutrient density

Older pyramid thinking has often become shorthand for “watch your calories.” The newest goal is different: prioritizing nutrient density.

This means asking:

• Does this meal provide significant protein?
• Are there any micronutrients here – think folate, iron, choline, omega-3?
• Does it promote growth, hormones and brain development?

This is particularly relevant during pregnancy, postpartum recovery and growing children.

Is the food pyramid still relevant?

In a way, “healthy eating” should be simple. And in this sense, a strongly visual food pyramid and accompanying guidelines can be very useful. But we know that health is actually a very individual state and that in reality very few of us fit into a well-designed pyramid, in terms of what we need and what we don’t need.

Whether you prefer a pyramid, a plate like the MyPlate model, or a complete food frame, here are the fundamentals we like to see:

• Real food first
• Proteins forward
• Plant fibers
• Healthy Fats Are Not the Enemy
• Ultra-processed foods should be minimal

It’s less about a perfect triangle and more about metabolic health, nutrient density and a prevention-focused lifestyle.

Following : Watch me buy the new food pyramid for my family of four this week and read my first breastfeeding journeyin food and supplements.