Dietary Guidelines for Americans

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) are the federal government’s official nutrition guidance, jointly issued every five years by the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Agriculture (USDA). The Guidelines shape nutrition education, federal nutrition programs, and public health messaging nationwide—impacting everything from school meals and WIC to SNAP incentives and dietary advice for families.

For decades, dairy has been recognized in the DGA as a distinct food group and a cornerstone of healthy eating patterns, reflecting its unique nutrient profile and essential role in public health.

Our Position

The 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, released in January 2026, represent an important step forward in aligning federal nutrition guidance with modern science.

Key takeaways for dairy include:

Dairy remains a core food group in healthy dietary patterns across life stages
Three servings of dairy per day continue to be recommended for most Americans
For the first time in more than four decades, the DGA recognize that dairy foods at all fat levels—fat-free, low-fat, reduced-fat, and whole—can fit within healthy eating patterns
The Guidelines reaffirm dairy’s role in delivering 13 essential nutrients, including calcium, potassium, and vitamin D—three of the four nutrients of concern identified as underconsumed in the American diet
The updated DGA graphics and messaging elevate dairy as a primary source of high-quality protein

This update reflects more than a decade of peer-reviewed research showing that consumption of whole and full-fat dairy products is associated with neutral or positive health outcomes, including:

By acknowledging the full range of dairy products, the DGA provide Americans greater flexibility to choose the dairy foods that best meet their nutritional, cultural, and taste preferences.

IDFA is encouraging the administration to swiftly update federal nutrition program—including the WIC food package, SNAP dairy incentives, and school meals standards—to align with the whole and full-fat dairy recommendation in the new DGA and ensure Americans can access the full range of nutrient-rich dairy foods, including whole and reduced-fat varieties.

Dietary Guidelines Development Process

While IDFA welcomes the science-based advancements in the 2025–2030 DGA, the association continues to advocate for a transparent, rigorous, and accountable process in future guideline development.

IDFA raised significant concerns during the 2024 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee process related to:

Real-time Publication of Considered Studies: IDFA urged the DGAC to make publicly available the list of all studies considered for each scientific question as soon as possible, along with the rationale for the inclusion or exclusion of each study.
Availability of Meeting Materials: IDFA called for the timely release of all materials related to DGAC public meetings, including agendas, scientific study spreadsheets, and slides presented at the meetings, in advance of and immediately following meetings.
Concurrent Release of Conclusions and Data: IDFA recommended that the DGACs establish processes to release draft scientific conclusions concurrent with the studies that support them, allowing for a more informed public review.

Looking Ahead

IDFA will continue working closely with USDA and HHS to:

Support implementation of the new dairy guidance across federal nutrition programs
Provide science-based resources to policymakers, health professionals, and the public
Advocate for a transparent, evidence-driven process for future Dietary Guidelines

The 2025–2030 DGA mark a meaningful step forward for dairy and for Americans’ health—and IDFA remains committed to ensuring the science continues to guide nutrition policy.

For more information, please visit eatrealfood.gov.

IDFA Staff Experts

Michelle Albee Matto, MPH, RDN

Vice President, Regulatory Affairs and Nutrition