Experts Recommend US Dietary Guidelines Prioritize Plant Protein

The dietary advisory committee to the US government has recommended for the first time that national dietary guidelines should include more plant-based foods.

The Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) produced a scientific report for the government for the 2025 update of guidelines, which happens every five years. The report recommends that plant sources of protein such as beans and lentils should be prioritized over animal sources of protein. The guidelines should encourage people to eat less red and processed meats, the report says. It also suggests that plant proteins should be moved from the vegetable subgroup to the protein food group.

Doctors have praised the report produced by the DGAC for the 2025 to 2030 update as “a step forward.”

Dr. Anna Herby, nutrition education specialist with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM), said in a statement that the changes would help prevent many diet-related diseases. “Encouraging Americans to avoid red and processed meats, and to finally recognize beans, peas, and lentils as a preferred source of protein will help save hundreds of thousands of lives a year,” she said.

Emphasizing plant-based benefits

tashka2000 – stock.adobe.com The report says animal-based saturated fats like butter should be replaced with whole plant foods

The DGAC says that reordering the protein food group to put plant sources ahead of animal sources will emphasize “the health benefits of more plant-based Protein Foods.” The change will also help to satisfy the DGAC’s overall recommendations for more nutrient dense plant-based meals.

The DGAC recommends the replacement of animal-based sources of saturated fat, including red meat and dairy, with whole plant foods. This is in line with the scientific evidence reviewed for the report.

The current dietary guidelines have a strong emphasis on the importance of dairy, recommending three dairy servings per day for each American. The guidelines do not recommend any non-dairy alternatives except for soy milk. The DGAC, however, advises that water should be named as the primary beverage of choice rather than cow’s milk.

“Recommending water as the drink of choice is a win for everyone’s health,” said Dr. Herby. “Especially for many people of color who suffer disproportionately from lactose intolerance.”