Prioritizing Plant-Based Protein in the Scientific Report of the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans Committee is a Step Forward, Doctors Say

WASHINGTON, D.C. — For the first time, the advisory committee tasked with making scientific recommendations for revising the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommended that the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines "include more nutrient-dense plant-based meal and dietary recommendation options,” prioritize plant-based protein over animal protein, and recognize the many benefits of beans, peas, and lentils as a protein source. The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) continued to discourage consuming foods like red meat, eggs, and dairy that are high in saturated fat, while also suggesting that the next Dietary Guidelines for Americans specifically recommend plain drinking water as the primary beverage for people to consume.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans are used as the basis for nutritional guidelines for many federal nutrition programs. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a public health advocacy nonprofit of 17,000 doctors, praises the recommendations as a significant step forward for nutrition policy.

“Encouraging Americans to avoid red and processed meats, and to finally recognize beans, peas, and lentils as a preferred source of protein will help save hundreds of thousands of lives a year from colorectal cancer, heart disease, and other diet-related diseases that plague our country,” says Dr. Anna Herby, nutrition education specialist with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

Today, the DGAC recommends in its Scientific Report that the Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture modify the order of the protein foods category in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans to emphasize plant-based sources ahead of meat, eggs, and dairy and to move beans, peas, and lentils from the vegetable group to the protein group to satisfy its overall recommendations for more nutrient dense plant-based meals. The DGAC reaffirms the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommendation to limit foods and beverages higher in saturated fat and to limit total saturated fat intake to less than 10% of calories per day. The DGAC also recommends switching to lower-fat plant-based foods, as well as nixing coconut and palm oils, to meet this recommendation.

“By recommending more healthier plant-based proteins and other foods, if adopted into the next Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the recommendations in the DGAC’s report would help mitigate the epidemics of obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and certain types of cancer that are linked to the saturated fat and other harmful ingredients in meat and other animal products,” Dr. Herby says.

The DGAC, comprised of 20 nutrition and public health experts, is responsible for creating today’s Scientific Report, which serves as the foundation for the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The Scientific Report includes conclusion statements based on the review of scientific literature, the results of food pattern modeling, as well as advice from nutrition experts to the USDA and HHS. The DGAC concluded its seventh and final public meeting Oct. 21-22.

Today’s report is currently posted on DietaryGuidelines.gov. A public comment period will be open for 60 days.

Just as significant is DGAC’s recommendation that plain drinking water should be the primary beverage people consume. The current Dietary Guidelines for Americans over-emphasize and unnecessarily promote dairy consumption. This is especially evident in the MyPlate diagram, which includes a glass-of-milk icon on the side of the plate, promoting the specific consumption of dairy products.

Milk’s primary nutrients are sugar (lactose) and fat, and dairy products are the leading source of saturated fat in the American diet. Nonetheless, the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend three dairy servings per day for all Americans—regardless of calorie intake for adults—and specifically reject any nondairy milk products other than soy milk.

Dr. Herby adds, “Recommending water as the drink of choice is a win for everyone’s health, especially for many people of color who suffer disproportionately from lactose intolerance.”