Oh, to live in such an upsetting time of strife and controversy.
Where sacred cows of health from noted Experts™ in the field of Science™ and Medicine™ had stood for decade after decade, changing the course of American food consumption and driving innovation in industrially prepared foodstuffs for a busy nation on the go.
The Food Pyramid (renamed the 'USDA My Plate')(not to be confused with 'My Pillow') was birthed, embraced by a nation seduced by the Modern Science™ behind the shiny new concept, and cleaved to like an abalone on a wet rock in a Pacific storm.
The original was refined here and there through the years, but the message was basically the same - stuff yourself from the bottom up.
Gimme, gimme, gimme more rolls and cereal, which requires more sugar.
...1992: The USDA releases the Food Pyramid.
Base of the pyramid (6-11 servings daily): Bread, cereal, rice, pasta.
Tip of the pyramid (use sparingly): Fats, oils, sweets.
The message: Load up on grains, avoid fats.
What happened next: 1992-2020: Americans followed the guidelines.
- Grain consumption increased
- Fat consumption decreased
- Vegetable oil replaced animal fats
- Low-fat products dominated grocery stores
Hey! It's SCIENCE™!!
And the government said it was okay.
This edifice, sadly, was not really constructed by dedicated government scientists in lab coats working for the betterment and best health outcomes for all their fellow citizens. In fact, there was more agricultural industry input than perhaps there should have been, to the detriment of both the pyramid's integrity and the overall health of Americans in general.
...Health outcomes:
- Obesity rate tripled from 13% to 42%
- Diabetes increased 700%
- Metabolic syndrome became epidemic
- Heart disease remained the leading killer
The more people followed the pyramid, the sicker they became.
Who designed the Food Pyramid?
Not independent nutritionists. A committee including representatives from:
- Wheat producers
- Corn industry
- Sugar industry
- Food manufacturers
The USDA's job is to promote American agriculture. The Food Pyramid did exactly that. It promoted products American agriculture produces in massive quantities: grains.
It wasn't designed for health. It was designed for agriculture business.
This is documented. The committee composition is public record. The conflicts of interest were obvious from the start.
But the pyramid was presented as neutral scientific consensus about optimal human nutrition.
There are things that technically fit into a category with the foodstuffs blessed by the pyramid that we all, in the deepest recesses where our common sense dwells, know we have no business gorging on, or at the very least, eating regularly. But I guess that wasn't enough for the food industry at the time, because just a few years ago, even as the country's population literally ballooned around us, a Tufts University working group in conjunction with Fauci's NIH and the Biden White House took a fresh look at the old pyramid.
In their wisdom, they said, 'Technically, Lucky Charms and, like, Frosted Mini Wheats fit in RIGHT THERE.'
They decided to call it 'The Food Compass.'
As my dear colleague David said at the time two years ago, this did not compute in any rational sense.
...The latest example of this–and don’t worry, I’ll get to how this relates to the scientific method in a bit–is Tufts University’s “Food Compass.” Developed with funding from the National Institutes of Health, the Food Compass is the modern version of the “food pyramid” which did so much to help Americans get obese.
Foods in green are “to be encouraged,” and foods in red are “to be minimized.” From this we learn that a breakfast of Frosted Mini Wheats or Honey Nut Cheerios is vastly better than an egg or two in the morning, especially if you make an omelette with cheddar cheese.
Lucky Charms, in fact, is better than a poached egg. And God forbid you eat ground beef instead of canned pineapple in heavy syrup. You are likely to die right away.
Now either you can accept that Tufts has discovered that a diet high in ultra-processed foods is really great for you, or you have discovered a glaring flaw in the lessons that people can take from a reliance on “science” without understanding its limitations as a mode of enquiry.
(You can see why he is the intellectual, and I am the comedy relief in our little pas de deux.)
We were both bemused and horrified, as was anyone with a rational cell left in their brain housing, which also explains how such utter rubbish came out of the Biden administration, as there was not a rational, functional brain cell to share among the lot of them.
Not to mention the years of conflicting health studies and dire food warnings to deal with, the absolute worst being the whipsaw guidance on 'to egg or not to egg.'
Ludicrous.
It also explains the abject horror at the thought of an actual HEALTH fanatic like Robert Kennedy Jr getting his hands on the keys to anything having to do with the direction of the nation's health initiatives.
They were already quaking in their boots when talk surfaced of his counterpart at the Department of Agriculture, Brooke Rollins, being willing to work with him on revamping the purchase parameters of the sacrosanct Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in order to restrict recipients to sustenance food.
Well, that's happened. States are now able to ask the USDA for waivers to exclude soda, candy, junk food, etc., from SNAP benefits. So far, eighteen states have done so and are restricting SNAP purchases of junk foods and/or soda in some manner.
The Trump Administration is leading bold reform to strengthen integrity and restore nutritional value within the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
USDA is empowering states with greater flexibility to manage their programs by approving SNAP Food Restriction Waivers that restrict the purchase of non-nutritious items like soda and candy. These waivers are a key step in ensuring that taxpayer dollars provide nutritious options that improve health outcomes within SNAP.
We encourage states to submit waivers that meet the unique needs in their state. See the map below to track our progress:
In Indiana, for example, its new, more restrictive benefits regulations have triggered a cross-border run similar to that between Alabama and Florida when a huge Powerball jackpot is on the line. Alabama does not sell lottery tickets - Florida does. You don't want to be anywhere near an AL/FL border gas station the day of the drawing for a big one.
I guess it's the same for hardcore soda addicts in Hoosierville on the day the SNAP EBT cards get loaded.
Add pop and candy to the list of contraband some Hoosiers may cross state lines for.
Driving the news: New rules for SNAP benefits that prohibit the federal food assistance program from being used to purchase sugary drinks and candy took effect at the start of the year.
- They impact the 600,000 Hoosiers receiving SNAP benefits.
Catch up quick: Indiana applied to the USDA last year to implement the new SNAP rules, something Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had encouraged states to do.
- "This is a common-sense change that will help Hoosiers live healthier lives," Gov. Mike Braun said.
Lucky thing gas is cheap, no? This is so stupid - surely the soda is cheaper than going across state lines to get it with your government EBT.
In any event, besides the fretting over vaccine policy and all the vile gaslighting done by the pharmaceutical industry and Kennedy clan alike, the biggest pending cardiac arrest was Kennedy's announced plan to revamp the sacred food pyramid.
Today, he and Brooke Rollins rolled out the new, official US government version.
I am sure there were gasps of horror across the true-believer spectrum, because the new version?
Was inverted.
The rest of us, however, went a little wild.
Look at all that 'food.'
America has a new food pyramid 👀
— OutKick (@Outkick) January 7, 2026
Eat real food! pic.twitter.com/UXc6Fln8tN
And the tagline?
EAT REAL FOOD
Couldn't be any better.
Importantly, this isn't a Whole Foods ad, either. There are frozen products included, canned options pictured, a yogurt container, et al - the message is eat what's available and in your price range, but let it be real, not processed.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins on Wednesday shared new U.S. nutrition guidelines, advising Americans to eat more “real food” and reduce their intake of highly processed foods and added sugars.
The government’s new food pyramid replaces the MyPlate diagram released under President Barack Obama, and emphasizes protein, full-fat dairy and vegetables. The most significant changes under the updated guidelines include prioritizing protein over carbohydrates, recommending full-fat dairy instead of low-fat options and calling out processed foods like white bread, chips and candy.
“Healthy fats” like full-fat dairy and avocados have also been added to the pyramid, and the guidelines recommend cooking with olive oil, butter or beef tallow.
“We are ending the war on saturated fats,” Kennedy said at a White House press briefing on Wednesday.
Similarly, the website announcing the new guidelines declares, “We are ending the war on protein.”
Kennedy called the new guidelines the “most significant reset of federal nutrition policy in history.”
Dang. I have to tell you, this is so refreshing.
EAT REAL FOOD! That is America’s new nutrition standard.
— Secretary Brooke Rollins (@SecRollins) January 7, 2026
Today, under @POTUS' leadership, we officially put REAL, nutrient-dense foods back at the center of the American diet. Right where they belong.
This means more protein. More dairy. More healthy fats. More whole grains,… pic.twitter.com/hftUhnIT8H
...This means more protein. More dairy. More healthy fats. More whole grains, fruits, and vegetables.
Science and common sense are BACK! And so is real food
As magically delicious as Lucky Charms were, and as magically they appeared in the food pyramid as a 'good for you,' they have vanished just as magically.
And that's real science in action.
You bet I voted for this.
