AFPI Releases New Report on Benefits of DGAs for Health & Farmers

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Today, the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) released a new Issue Brief highlighting the impact of the updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Titled “Eat Real Food: How the Dietary Guidelines Help Make Americans Healthy,” the report details how the Trump Administration’s nutrition reset is aligning more than two billion taxpayer-funded meals annually with gold-standard nutritional science, emphasizing real, nutrient-dense foods like high-quality protein, healthy fats, whole milk, fruits, and vegetables.

The report, and the importance of nutrition in maintaining long-term health, was discussed by AFPI senior director of Healthy America Policy Hannah Anderson today at AFPI’s “Healthy America” event in Charlotte, Michigan, featuring U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and U.S. Representative Tom Barrett. To watch the remarks, click here.

"A healthier America starts with better nutrition information, access to fresh, whole foods, and greater transparency about what's in the meals we feed our children,” said Anderson. “Through the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the Trump Administration is ensuring that families across the country are empowered with the information and resources they need to take back their health.”

The updated guidelines are already driving meaningful change across federal programs. Under the new rules, public schools will serving healthier, nutrient-dense meals to children, SNAP retailers must now stock double the amount of whole foods, and 22 states have restricted junk food purchases with taxpayer dollars. Whole milk will return to school and child nutrition programs in November thanks to the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act. These changes extend to the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of War, and beyond.

“These guidelines represent the most significant reset of federal nutrition policy in decades,” said T.J. Wilson, deputy director of Rural Policy at AFPI. “By prioritizing real food produced by American farmers and ranchers over defaulting to ultra-processed products often sourced from far away, we are undoing decades of damage to American producers and strengthening rural economies for years to come.”

This shift supports the goals of the Farmers First Agenda by increasing demand for American-grown, nutrient-dense foods and reducing reliance on ultra-processed items.

The full Issue Brief can be found here.