Sports Dietitian’s Review of the New Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2025–2030)

As you’ve likely seen across the news, the 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans were recently released. I wanted to share my thoughts on them through a sports dietitian lens.

If you haven’t read them yet, you can find the full guidelines here!

Before we dive in, there is something I need you to understand first. It’s something I’ve been saying for years and something I will continue to tell athletes (yes, you)!

Athletes like long-distance runners are special people. Their nutrition needs are unique and so different than the average person. And because of this, many of the general nutrition recommendations out there for the average person, do not apply to athletes.

When athletes follow general nutrition guidelines too closely, it can lead to underfueling, injury, poor recovery, poor performance, hormonal disruption and GI issues.

Now let’s dive into the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans and it’s pros and cons for athletes.

Back to the Food Pyramid: What Athletes Should Know

Over the years, we’ve gone from the food pyramid to MyPlate and now we’re back to a version of the food pyramid. I think MyPlate is so much easier for people to understand and apply. I believe it represents a balanced plate for the general population.

What concerns me most about this new pyramid is that whole grains now sit at the bottom of the pyramid. I worry this will lead many people to limit or fear them.

Whole grains provide fiber, energy and carbohydrates that support brain and body function. Fun fact: the brain alone requires at least 130 grams of carbohydrates per day to function properly.

For athletes, this visual could be especially problematic. Following it will likely result in falling very short of daily carbohydrate needs, which can negatively impact training, recovery and performance.

Because of this, I will continue using my Runner’s Plate method (stems off of MyPlate) to teach athletes how to build balanced meals and adjust intake as training volume changes.

Whole Foods Are Important But So Are Refined Carbs for Athletes

I appreciate the emphasis on whole, nutrient-dense foods for the general public and for athletes but for athletes, the recommendation to reduce refined carbs, added sugars and sodium is not necessarily applicable and let’s talk about why.

There is a place for both high fiber, complex carbohydrates and low fiber, refined carbohydrates in runner’s nutrition.

In fact, here is when I recommend for athletes to choose low fiber, refined carbs and avoid high fiber, complex carbs:

• When eating within the hour of exercise
• During exercise
• During carb loading for a race.

Carbs fuel performance but fiber slows digestion & can result in GI issues during exercise if consumed too close to or during exercise.

Runners should also keep fueling with their gels, sports chews and sugar-rich sports drinks because that is easily digestible fuel & supports long-distance performance, no need to be scared of or limit.

Long-distance athletes also have higher sodium needs and I do appreciate that the guidelines acknowledge that. So the general recommendation of consuming <2300 mg/day of sodium typically doesn’t apply to runners.

Protein: Important, But Often Overdone

I do like that the guidelines encourage protein at every meal and encourage dairy which are beneficial for both the general population and athletes.

I already encourage athletes to include protein at all meals and snacks but we don’t need to fill half our plate with protein (there is such thing as excessive protein intake so be aware of that).

Through the hundreds of athletes that I’ve coached over the years, I’ve found that it’s so common for athletes to consume too much protein and not enough carbohydrates. And when we make the appropriate adjustments, it’s amazing the difference that it makes with their energy, recovery and performance.

As a protein-rich food, dairy has a lot of benefits and is a great source of calcium and vitamin D which are important for both the general population and athletes.

I also think that the new food pyramid visual should highlight more plant protein sources such as lentils, legumes, tofu, tempeh and edamame.

The Confusing Guidance on Saturated Fats

I don’t agree with their labeling of saturated fats (animal fats, butter & beef tallow that they listed) as “healthy fats.” They also say “saturated fat consumption should not exceed 10% of total daily calories” which is contradicting.

When I refer to healthy fats, I am talking about the fats we get from plants and fatty fish like salmon and tuna.

Most Americans already consume too much saturated fat and not enough unsaturated fat, in particular omega-3 fats. Omega-3 fats provide significant health and performance benefits, yet most people, including athletes, fall short.

The emphasis should be placed more heavily on unsaturated, heart-healthy fats.

My Bottom Line as a Sports Dietitian

After reviewing the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans, I will not be changing my nutrition recommendations for my athletes.

While these guidelines may work for the general population, athletes require specialized, performance-focused nutrition strategies.

I help runners train smarter with personalized run, strength and fueling support. Learn how I work 1:1 with athletes and active people here!