New Dietary Lifestyle
New Dietary Guidelines for Americans Reinforce Beef’s Role in a Healthy Lifestyle
Every five years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) jointly release the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs) to serve as the cornerstone for federal nutrition programs, nutrition standards and nutrition education initiatives. In the years leading up to the release of the DGAs the current body of nutrition science is evaluated to help inform the recommendations. The most recent iteration, the 2025-2030 DGA released in January 2026, prioritizes diets built on whole, nutrient-dense foods such as protein (including beef), dairy, vegetables, fruits, healthy fats, and whole grains.
“These new DGAs confirm what producers have long known, that beef belongs in a healthy, balanced diet,” said Registered Dietitian and nutrition scientist Dr. Shalene McNeill, executive director of nutrition science with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a contractor to the Beef Checkoff. “The guidance recognizes the importance of nutrient-dense, real, whole foods like beef for a healthy life.”
Beef is being recognized for providing an importantike zinc, iron and B vitamins.1 As a staple food in Americans’ diets, beef can help offset nutrient deficiencies, particularly iron and vitamin B12, which are critical for vulnerable populations such as children and older adults.2-5
“This is a great opportunity for beef farmers and ranchers because beef delivers key nutrients that many Americans need across all stages of life,” McNeill said.
The DGAs influence school meals, military menus and recommendations physicians make for their patients on healthy, balanced nutrition. These DGAs provide more opportunities for families and children to include nutrient-rich beef.
The 2025-2030 Guidelines significantly increase recommended protein intake, now 1.2-1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight – which translates to nearly double the previous meat recommendations for many Americans.6 This reinforces the importance of high-quality, nutrient-dense proteinaturally with the guidelines’ focus on prioritizing whole foods and limiting highly processed foods and added sugars
USDA and HHS use the latest nutrition science to develop DGA recommendations. Over the years, the Beef Checkoff and the Federation of State Beef Councils have funded rigorous, high-quality human nutrition research highlighting beef’s nutrient profile and demonstrating its role in a healthy diet and lifestyle. Decades of research now confirms that beef can fit in heart-healthy eating patterns, and paired with fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, can help meet dietary guidelines effectively.7
“It is encouraging to see the DGAs evaluate the science that the Beef Checkoff has invested in over the past several decades, which clearly demonstrates that beef supports healthy dietary patterns at every life stage,” McNeill concluded.
1 U.S. Department of Agriculture FoodData Central. 2019. Available at fdc.nal.usda.gov (Beef composite, cooked – NDB Number 13364).
2 Agarwal S, Fulgoni VL 3rd. Contribution of beef to key nutrient intakes in American adults: an updated analysis with NHANES 2011-2018. Nutr Res. 2022;105:105-112. doi:10.1016/j.nutres.2022.06.009
3 Fulgoni, K., & Fulgoni, V. L., 3rd (2023). Beef Intake Is Associated with Higher Nutrient Intake and Nutrient Adequacy in U.S. Adolescents, NHANES 2001-2018. Nutrients, 15(23), 4996. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu15234996
4 Agarwal, S., & Fulgoni, V. L., 3rd (2024). Contribution of Beef to Key Nutrient Intakes and Nutrient Adequacy in Pregnant and Lactating Women: NHANES 2011-2018 Analysis. Nutrients, 16(7), 981. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16070981
5 Agarwal, S.; Fulgoni, V.L., III. Beef Consumption Is Associated with Higher Intakes and Adequacy of Key Nutrients in Older Adults Age 60+ Years: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011–2018 Analysis. Nutrients 2024, 16, 1779. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16111779
6 U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030. 10th Edition. January 2026.
7 Sanders LM, Palacios OM, Wilcox ML, Maki KC. Beef Consumption and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Current Developments in Nutrition 2024; 8(12): 104500.
Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030, realfood.gov.
