The one quote that has always been tucked away in my mind is “You can’t out run a poor diet”. Okay I can buy into that but the rules about diet change constantly. And once again the USDA flipped the script on us.

In 2011 “My Plate” came into play because the pyramid was to complex, confusing and did show proper portion sizes for meals. As of January 2026, a new nutrional guideline was introduced that move away from the 2011, 2016-2025 models.

The top heavy design encourages whole foods, healthy fats, and increased protein, often described as flipping the pyramid. The philosphy: Quality, nutrient density and persssonalization.

Whats different in 2026?

The inversion: Protein, dairy, and healthy fats are now the largest sections, no longer focusing on grains.

Prioritizing Protein: This is one of the ways it gets personal. Be prepared to use your favorite food scale and know your familys current weight.

Breaking it down based on weight, a person who wighs 150 pounds (68.2kg) has a recommended protein intake of bout 55 grams per day. If you are trying to build muscle, aim for 69-102 grams of protein per day. If you are trying to lose weight, shoot for 68-82 grams of protein per day.

I imagine sending out invitations to a party asking my guests, how much do you weigh and what stage are you in muscle building, weight loss or maintenance. How will you know how much food to prepare? We will get to that a little bit later. Just make sure you have ample protein, healthy fats and nutrient dense dairy.

Healthy Fats Reclaimed: inclusion of helathy fats, including dairy fat, olives, oil and butter. A 150 pound persson might aim for 60-75 grams of total fat daily.

Reducing processed foods: good bye Cereal, ooey gooey baked goods, or any refined grains. Those sugary products, adios.

The flipped pyramid focusing on those proteins and healthy fats. Veggies and Fruits are our friends and we are keeping them on the chart. Aim for three vegetables and two fruits emphasizing on variety and colors. Those rich greens, reds and yellows. Whole fruits, not juices and berries are much better for us than the starchy ones.

Key health take aways; Zero sugar added to foods. Limit to 10 g of natural sugars. Prebiotics and Probriotics for better gut health. Local sourced foods, seasonal availability think; organic farmers.

I was so impressed when I was shopping at Hyvee recently that they were featuring local farmers for hyponic lettuces and those yummy little microgreens. knowing my food was sourced locally means freshness. I am able to have a conversation with the person growing my food. I can find out first hand all I need to know about their growing process.

To sum it all up:

Eat whole and unprocessed foods. Prioritize foods that have not been altered. The 5 or less rule-avoid products with ingreients you wouldnt keep in your kitchen. Traditional cooking methods, roasting, stewing and fermenting are preferred.

A real food diet supports overall health, weight management and provide superior nutrient absorption compared to diets filled with refined carbohydrates and artificial ingredients.

By selecting food from sustainable sources this philosphy promotes healteir soil, biodiversity and fewer chemical pesticides.

Avoid becoming to rigid and enjoy new recipes adding flavor and textures. Prioritize what you are consuming, a healthier selection of foods will keep you full and satisfied.