Breaking Down the New Dietary Guidelines 2025–2030: Evidence, Gaps, and Real-World Practice - Episode 1
Reframing the Dietary Guidelines: Whole Foods, the Microbiome, and a Shift Toward the Consumer
In the opening segment of this special report, a trio of experts discuss what's new in the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines.
In this opening segment of this 8-part special report on the 2025–2030 US Dietary Guidelines, moderator Colleen Sloan, PA-C, RD, sets the stage for a wide-ranging discussion on what has meaningfully changed in the latest iteration of the guidelines and why those changes matter for both clinicians and patients.
Joined by Katherine McManus, RD, an assistant professor at Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic, and Viet Le, PA, a preventive cardiology specialist at Intermountain Health, the panel brings together perspectives spanning pediatrics, women’s health, and cardiovascular prevention.
One of the most notable evolutions highlighted in the discussion is the guidelines’ stronger and more explicit emphasis on whole, nutrient-dense foods, coupled with a firmer stance against highly processed foods. While prior editions acknowledged these principles, McManus emphasized that the 2025–2030 document elevates them to a central theme, beginning with a clear directive that US households prioritize dietary patterns built around whole foods. This shift reflects growing recognition that ultra-processed foods play a central role in chronic disease risk and dietary inequities, an issue that extends beyond individual choice and into the food environment itself.
For Le, this emphasis underscores the broader purpose of the Dietary Guidelines: not only to inform clinicians and patients, but to signal priorities to policymakers, industry, and public health systems. Recommendations around limiting added sugars, discouraging sugar-sweetened beverages, and favoring water and unsweetened options were described as more direct than in past versions. From a preventive cardiology standpoint, these clearer positions may help reinforce population-level strategies that support healthier defaults, particularly in communities where food choice is constrained by availability rather than preference.
Another major advancement discussed was the first-time inclusion of gut health and the microbiome as a key consideration within the Dietary Guidelines. McManus noted that the growing body of evidence linking dietary patterns, microbial diversity, and long-term health outcomes is now substantial enough to warrant national-level acknowledgment. Importantly, the guidelines also recognize the potential downstream consequences of a compromised microbiome, further validating clinical conversations around fiber intake, dietary diversity, and minimally processed foods.
Beyond content, the panel also reflected on a fundamental shift in how the guidelines are presented. Historically written for clinicians, researchers, and policymakers in dense, 150-page technical documents, the 2025–2030 guidelines were released in a concise, 11-page format that appears intentionally consumer-forward. McManus shared that patients have responded positively to this approach, describing the document as accessible and empowering—something that helped them identify dietary priorities and initiate more informed discussions with their healthcare providers.
Le acknowledged that while this streamlined format sacrifices nuance for expert audiences, it may ultimately strengthen shared decision-making by meeting patients where they are. In an era saturated with nutrition misinformation, the availability of a clear, evidence-based, and government-backed resource may serve as a valuable counterbalance. As Sloan and the panel noted, the challenge moving forward will be ensuring that clinicians and policymakers also have access to the deeper scientific rationale needed to operationalize these recommendations at scale.
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.
