We present the reflections of Professor Giuseppe Pulina, president of Carni Sostenibili, on the recent US government nutritional guidelines. The Mediterranean Diet is also a winner in America.

After an initial analysis of the “Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025–2030” (USDA/HHS), of the “Scientific Foundation” document and of the related technical “Appendices”, in light of the relevant scientific literature and the contributions already prepared by our association, we propose these notes (download the complete document in Italian here) for further study and evaluation.

In summary, the message emerging from the new American Guidelines is surprisingly simple: Americans are advised to eat more or less as we have always done in the Mediterranean. Not a “new” diet, but a return to a dietary model based on real foods, defined portions, balance, and moderation.

The problem is not meat, but ultra-processed products

The document stems from the recognition of a failure. After decades of recommendations focused on reducing single nutrients and the demonisation of certain foods, the United States finds itself immersed in an unprecedented metabolic crisis. The new guidelines recognise that the problem is not meat or animal fats, but a food system dominated by ultra-processed products, sugars, and refined carbohydrates, which today provide the majority of calories consumed.

The way scientific evidence is interpreted is also changing. The guidelines more rigorously distinguish between experimental evidence and simple statistical associations and scale back the claim of a strong, proven causal link between meat consumption, especially processed meat, and an increased risk of chronic disease. The same applies to saturated fats, whose impact depends on the dietary context and actual substitutions, not on the nutrient in isolation.

The problem is not what you eat, but how you eat it

When examining the recommended amounts, the picture becomes clearer. The suggested portions of meat, fish, eggs, and dairy products, when translated into actual consumption, are very close to those typical of Mediterranean populations: regular but not excessive consumption, integrated into a varied and structured diet based on fruit, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and nuts.

In essence, the new US guidelines don’t propose a nutritional revolution, but rather a belated alignment with a model that has always existed in the Mediterranean. A diet in which the problem isn’t excessive meat or traditional foods, but the replacement of real foods with hyper-processed, industrial products, rich in calories and additives, yet low in nutritional value.