Has the USDA Declared a War on Sugar Consumption?

The updated Dietary Guidelines and inverted food pyramid strongly discourage the consumption of added sugars and highly processed foods. They advise that added sugars should account for no more than about 10 g per meal and emphasize avoiding sugary processed foods and beverages altogether.

Yet, the pyramid also includes a big slab of red meat and nominal recommendations for alcohol consumption.

So we have a few questions…

What is the impact on sugar consumption and demand over time?

• The guidelines’ emphasis on avoiding added sugars could lead consumers to cut back on sugary drinks, candy, sweets, and many processed snacks.

• Over time, if these guidelines influence public eating habits and food-service offerings (e.g., school lunch programs), total domestic sugar use for human consumption could decline. This aligns with recent USDA projections showing reduced sugar deliveries for human consumption.

• If consumption trends decline and manufacturers decrease sugar purchases, it could put downward pressure on domestic sugar demand, potentially contributing to weaker prices or slower production growth in sugar beet and cane sectors.

• ·Reformulation. Lower added sugar recommendations may boost non-nutritive sweeteners or alternative sweeteners like fruit juice concentrates or novel natural sweeteners), affecting the mix of sweetener demand across the industry.

• However, the USDA sugar program, which supports domestic producers through supply management and tariff mechanisms, can temper market price swings even if consumption falls.

  
  

  

How will the new guidance direct the US school lunch program?

• The new 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines will now serve as the formal basis for future rulemakings and updates to school meal requirements, meaning future menus will increasingly reflect its priorities: more whole foods, nutrient-dense proteins, and fewer ultra-processed and high-sugar foods.

• Over the next 1–2 years, USDA is expected to begin revising school meal patterns to better reflect the new food pyramid (e.g., increased emphasis on protein and whole foods), though changes are phased in gradually and will not take effect overnight.

• Schools may modify procurement, menus, and recipes to increase servings of protein, dairy, fruits, and vegetables, and reduce added sugars and highly processed foods over time.

• However, as protein-dense foods are more expensive than carbohydrates, schools will struggle to meet higher nutrition standards without additional funding or increased reimbursement rates.  

Why the big slab of red meat and barely any limits on alcohol consumption?

Older USDA pyramids were built around commodity food groups:

• Grains (bread, cereal, rice, pasta) at the base

• Protein and fats at the top

The new pyramid is built around metabolic priorities, not food categories:

• Protein adequacy

• Micronutrient density

• Lower glycemic load

• Less ultra-processing

Once you change the organizing principle, the pyramid looks radically different, and foods that were once front and center become optional rather than necessary.    

But what about the role sweet desserts and beverages play in family celebrations and holidays? Isn't that important?

Food is not only fuel. It’s culture, memory, belonging, and ritual.

•           Desserts play an important role in family life, culture, and holidays

•           Removing them from a pyramid doesn’t make them unimportant — it makes them non-foundational

Federal nutrition guidance is designed for:

• daily, repeat consumption

• institutional settings (schools, hospitals, prisons)

• budget-constrained populations

  
  

In those contexts, desserts can crowd out nutrients, and “Occasional” foods become daily by default.

Many nutrition researchers now argue for a clearer distinction between “everyday foods” and “ritual foods”.

“Everyday foods” are protein, vegetables, fruit, and whole foods, which should dominate meals.

Desserts are “ritual foods” that belong to celebrations, not schedules.

The Bottom Line…

Though imperfect, the revised pyramid attempts to improve health outcomes for both children and adults through different food choices.

And wouldn’t that be something to celebrate?

With a small cupcake. 😊