Will you notice any change at the grocery store because of RFK Jr.’s new food guidelines? You already have

CNN

By Vanessa Yurkevich, CNN

New York (CNN) — The food pyramid is getting turned upside down, with protein and dairy gaining more prominence in the suggested American diet. Sugar and processed foods are getting shunned even more with warning labels.

It has whiffs of MAHA, as the new dietary guidelines for Americans promote controversial saturated fats.

But if you think big changes are coming to the grocery store, think again: They’ve already happened, as consumers have been making the shift to healthier foods for years.

“I think it reinforces a lot of what the consumer knows about protein being good for you, the need for avoiding excessive calories in certain categories, try to avoid excessive sugar,” said Michael Swanson, chief agricultural economist at the Wells-Fargo Agri-Food Institute. “I think that this is a continuation of a message that they’ve heard for many, many years.”

New dietary guidelines are released by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Agriculture every five years. Federal programs like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, and Women, Infants and Children, or WIC, as well as public schools, have to follow the guidelines. But for everyday Americans, it’s just a recommendation.

More than half of Americans say heathy food is important when deciding what to eat, according to the Pew Research Center. And the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions revealed seventy-six percent of Americans would prefer to use food over prescription medications to support their health.

Consumer food brands are already aligned with the new dietary pyramid because that’s where consumers have been heading for years.

The Consumer Brands Association, which represents companies like PepsiCo, General Mills, Land O’Lakes and Nestle, told CNN in a statement it looks forward to working with the administration on the new guidelines.

Healthy food products have the fastest growing sales in most grocery categories, according to Neilsen IQ and Food Health Co., which tracked more than 300,000 grocery store receipts.

PepsiCo revealed in July plans to release products boosted with fiber or protein after changing consumer preferences weakened demand for its drinks and snacks. It also revamped marketing of its Lay’s chips to highlight that product is made with real potatoes.

Kraft-Heinz announced in September it would split into two companies after marquee products like Kraft Mac & Cheese, Lunchables and Velveeta stalled with customers looking for healthier options. In June, the company said it would remove all artificial colors from its brands.

Kellogg broke up its company in 2023, spinning cereal and snacks into one division while focusing on a “plant-based foods company” in the other.

The new dietary guidelines also place protein – meats, eggs and whole dairy – at the top of the chart. The macronutrient is having a moment, especially in the wellness space, with Americans trying to get it in any form they can. Companies are releasing protein-enhanced pancakes, Cheerios and Pop-Tarts. In September, Starbucks announced it was adding protein to its cold foam.

So while there won’t be any immediate changes at your local grocery store because of the new dietary guidelines, it could foreshadow more of what’s to come.

“The food companies very much keep a finger on the pulse of what’s selling well and what’s driving those sales,” Swanson said. “There’s a feedback loop between the consumer asking for it and the food companies moving to give it to them.”

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