NPPC backs updated Dietary Guidelines for Americans

The director of food policy for the National Pork Producers Council says the Trump administration’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans, implemented at the beginning of the year, are benefiting farmers and ranchers.

“Meat is back,” Dr. Ashley Johnson said at the NAFB’s 2026 Washington Watch.

Johnson tells Brownfield a healthier diet starts with what farmers produce.

“Everybody saw that the food pyramid was flipped upside down,” she said. “Of course, I like to say it’s right side up now because meat is now at the top of that pyramid.”

She says protein is critically important for nutrition.

“There’s a misnomer that we actually are eating too much protein, but that’s actually incorrect,” Johnson said.

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans are released every five years, and in addition to providing healthy diet recommendations, the guidelines also help shape federal nutrition programs.

Dr. Ashley Johnson: