Breaking Down the New Dietary Guidelines 2025–2030: Evidence, Gaps, and Real-World Practice - Episode 3
Interpreting Saturated Fat Recommendations
In part 3 of this discussion, experts break down saturated fat recommendations and why visuals in the guidelines may cause confusion.
In part 3 of the discussion, Colleen Sloan, PA-C, RD, turns the panel’s attention to another area where the 2025–2030 US Dietary Guidelines have sparked intense debate: saturated fat. While the numerical recommendation itself remains unchanged from prior iterations, Sloan notes that confusion has emerged from a perceived disconnect between the written guidance and the accompanying visuals, a tension that has been amplified across social media.
Viet Le, PA, emphasized that the guidelines are explicit in maintaining a clear guardrail: less than 10% of total daily calories from saturated fat. From his perspective, this continuity is important, particularly as conversations around protein, animal foods, and fats have become increasingly polarized. Even as some dietary patterns emphasize butter, beef tallow, or high-fat animal products, Le stressed that the saturated fat limit still applies and should serve as a practical anchor for interpretation.
Le framed this as a matter of quality rather than absolutes. The presence of protein-forward messaging does not negate long-standing limits on saturated fat intake, and the two must be interpreted together. In practice, this naturally shifts attention toward protein sources, particularly plant-based options, that contribute less saturated fat overall, reinforcing the guidelines’ broader emphasis on balance and dietary pattern quality.
Catherine McManus, RD, raised concerns about whether the visual food guide accurately reflects what is realistically achievable within those limits. She noted that the portion sizes and prominence of red meat and bone- and skin-on poultry depicted in the imagery would make it “nearly impossible” for most individuals to remain below the 10% saturated fat threshold. From a consumer standpoint, she argued, this misalignment risks portraying a dietary pattern that is not feasible when applied to real-world eating behaviors.
Sloan then highlighted another area of heated online debate: the guidelines’ language around liquid fats, including butter, beef tallow, and olive oil. While the text emphasizes the importance of essential fatty acids, it focuses narrowly on olive oil, prompting questions from clinicians and patients alike about why other oils were not explicitly mentioned.
McManus responded by grounding the conversation in a core principle of nutrition science: variety. She emphasized that no single food or fat source, even one widely regarded as healthful, should dominate the diet. Just as eating the same protein at every meal would not constitute a healthy dietary pattern, relying exclusively on one type of oil fails to provide the diversity of fatty acids and nutrients needed for optimal health. From her perspective, broadening the category rather than spotlighting a single oil could better support dietary flexibility and sustainability.
Le acknowledged the inherent challenge of balancing specificity and brevity, particularly in an 11-page document intended for a broad audience. He cautioned against interpreting omission as exclusion, noting that the absence of specific examples does not imply that other oils or fats are discouraged. Rather, the streamlined format necessitates selectivity, leaving room for clinicians to provide context and clarification.
To illustrate the practical implications of the saturated fat limit, Le offered concrete examples: a single ribeye steak or a cheeseburger with added butter could consume or exceed the entire daily saturated fat allowance for someone eating 2,000 calories. These scenarios, he noted, highlight why nuance is essential and why visual cues alone can be misleading without textual context and professional interpretation.
Sloan brought the discussion back to the clinical setting, underscoring the importance of personalized nutrition and individualized care. She noted that patients can respond very differently to similar dietary patterns with some experiencing improvements in lipid profiles and others seeing dramatic increases in LDL cholesterol.
Le agreed, sharing real-world examples from cardiology practice in which patients adopting low-carbohydrate, high-fat diets experienced marked LDL elevations, sometimes into extreme ranges. While not universal, these responses underscore the role of individual variability, including differences in lipid metabolism and the gut microbiome.
Our Experts:
Colleen Sloan, PA-C, RDN, pediatric physician assistant and registered dietitian.
Catherine McManus, PhD, RDN, LD, assistant professor of nutrition, Case Western Reserve University; Cleveland Clinic Foundation.
Viet Le, DMSc, MPAS, PA-C, FACC, preventive cardiology physician assistant and associate professor of research, Intermountain Health.
