Show 1465: Food Fight! Should We Flip the Food Pyramid Upside-Down?

Every five years, the Departments of Agriculture and of Health and Human Services jointly issue guidelines on what we should eat. The most recent Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2025-2030) have been controversial. [Here is a link: https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov] Among other things, the administration decided to flip the food pyramid upside-down in illustrating its recommendations. Why did that cause such a stir, and what will it mean for you?

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Why Flip the Food Pyramid?

Nobody has actually explained to us why they decided to flip the food pyramid on its head. The food pyramid itself debuted in 1991 as an illustration of what we should eat, but many people found it confusing. In 2011, it was replaced by a MyPlate graphic. So why return to the food pyramid now, especially upside-down?

Our guest, noted nutrition researcher Christopher Gardner, suggest that it might be a way of denoting dramatic changes from previous guidance. Spoiler alert: only a few details are dramatically different. The main changes are a commendable emphasis on eating real food and attention to red meat as a protein source and full-fat rather than low-fat dairy products.

Do Americans Need More Protein?

If you pay attention at the supermarket, you’ll probably notice that a lot of product tout their protein content. Even things that don’t seem like they’d stand out as sources of protein (granola, pancake mix) are being offered in containers emblazoned with the promise of protein. Surprisingly, though, this is not a response to an urgent need. Most Americans get adequate protein and don’t need to concentrate on increasing their intake. Might it be a marketing tool?

Should We Worry About Dairy?

Generally, public health experts recommend that we avoid foods high in saturated fat such as butter or cheese and opt instead for lower fat items, like skim milk. Consuming excessive amounts of saturated fat can raise blood levels of dangerous LDL cholesterol. On the other hand, Dr. Gardner points out that dairy fat differs in some ways from the saturated fats in meat, for instance. We don’t have enough studies to evaluate health consequences of consuming full-fat dairy. Will that raise cholesterol? Might it increase the chance of heart disease? We still need more research to be able to tell.

What About Eggs?

Speaking of cholesterol, what about eggs? For decades, Americans were warned not to eat eggs. Experts thought these cholesterol-rich foods would raise the level of cholesterol in our blood. But although eggs are high in cholesterol, they are low in saturated fat. Joe describes an astonishing experiment in which a person ate two dozen eggs a day. After a month, his LDL cholesterol was lower than when he started. Dr. Gardner remarks that we need to know not only what we are eating, but also instead of what and with what. Eggs with sausage and cheese are quite different from a veggie frittata.

What’s for Breakfast?

Let’s consider what people might be eating for breakfast instead of eggs. Quick toaster pastries, sweetened cereal, orange juice and toast with jam are all popular options that are high in refined carbohydrates. At least for some people, such foods may make blood sugar and insulin spike. That could lead to a midmorning crash, which in turn could encourage someone to have a midmorning snack. Is that a bad idea? Maybe it is one reason to flip the food pyramid.

If We Flip the Food Pyramid, Will It Help with Weight Loss?

Dr. Gardner has run studies comparing the results of healthful low-carb diets to healthful low-fat diets. He and his colleagues found no significant difference in the weight loss people experienced on average. But none of us is an average person. The range of responses to these diets was huge, with some people losing a lot of weight and other losing none or even gaining.

How to Lose Weight

Based on this research, it seems no single diet will work for everyone. What makes a big difference is satiety. If what you eat makes you feel full and keeps you feeling full, it will help keep you from eating too much. No need to flip the food pyramid in that case. And, says Dr. Gardner, no need to rely on continuous glucose monitors unless your blood sugar is out of range. Just paying attention to how food makes you feel and to the maxim Eat Real Food will be a pretty good guide for most of us.

Dietary Guidelines Shape Food for Kids

One important way that the Dietary Guidelines for Americans are implemented is school lunch. Institutions receiving funds from the federal government must follow these guidelines. Substituting minimally processed foods for the inexpensive ultraprocessed foods that are currently found on many school menus will probably be more expensive. The new guidelines also recommend that kids not get any foods with added sugar until they are at least ten years old. That would be a big difference in children’s diets, at as big as when we flip the food pyramid. Is it practical?

This Week's Guest

Christopher Gardner, PhD, is a nutrition researcher. He is the director of nutrition studies at the Stanford Prevention Research Center and the Rehnborg Farquhar Professor of Medicine at Stanford University.

[caption id="attachment_139159" align="alignnone" width="768"] Christopher Gardner, PhD, director of nutrition studies at the Stanford Prevention Research Center and the Rehnborg Farquhar Professor of Medicine at Stanford University[/caption]