US delays release of new dietary guidelines to 2026
Shutdown pushes back nutrition advice that shapes national policy
8 December 2025
1 minute read
By: The new Dietary Guidelines for Americans have been pushed to early 2026, delaying the release of the government's official recommendations for a healthy diet, reported Reuters.
"The Dietary Guidelines will be released soon after the first of the year," a spokesperson for the US Department of Health and Human Services told Reuters on Thursday.
In November, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the Trump administration would release new dietary guidelines in December, aimed atchanging the country's food culture and to reduce high rates of obesity.
The updated guidelines, which shape school lunches, medical advice and nutrition standards, have been expected since summer.
The HHS and the US Department of Agriculture publish the guidelines jointly every five years.
The release was delayed due to the recent government shutdown, a federal official said.
The New York Times reported the postponement earlier on Thursday.
The new guidelines are expected to address saturated fat, found mainly in meat and certain oils, and ultra-processed food, along with modified suggestions related to dairy consumption, sources familiar with the process told Reuters in June.
The current dietary guidelines recommend limiting saturated fat to less than 10% of total calories consumed daily, and do not address ultra-processed food.
