Following the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s (DGAC) unveiling of its final recommendations for the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans last week, leaders in the animal-protein industry highlight what has been included, overlooked and necessary changes they believe are needed to better support a balanced diet.
NCBA cites key gaps and recommendations on protein, nutrient consumption
The National Cattlemen Beef’s Association pointed out key gaps on DGAC’s recommendations on plant-based diets and recommended a maintained protein consumption for individuals, citing that the committee “relied on weaker forms of evidence such as observational studies and hypothetical models that substitute one food for another,” Shalene McNeill, executive director of nutrition science, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, told FoodNavigator-USA.
In its food pattern analyses, the DGAC determined that the removal of animal-based foods significantly reduces key nutrients like protein, vitamins A, D, E, B12, niacin, B6, choline, calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium and zinc.
Additionally, the committee emphasized the importance of maintaining animal-based foods in diets, recommending a balanced dietary approach that ensure individuals receive essential nutrients from alternative sources.
They also highlighted the need to address nutrient gaps and potential replacements for specific demographic groups through thoughtful planning, as reported previously by FoodNavigator-USA.
“Beans, peas and lentils cannot replace beef for health. Beef is irreplaceable because no other protein food delivers the same high-quality, bioavailable nutrients in a small number of calories. It is well-recognized that many nutrient sources are not created equally, and nutrients function differently in the body based on their food sources, McNeill said.
Rather, one study found that two plant burger patties versus one beef patty can accomplish muscle protein synthesis, “at a cost of 66% more calories,” McNeill noted.
“While the American diet has changed over time, the percentage of calories in the diet that comes from protein has not increased over the past 20 years. On average, American adults (19+) eat about 1.6 ounces of beef each day. About 1.3 ounces of that is fresh lean beef, which is well within 2020-2025 DGA recommendations.
McNeill added that the “solution is not to push for a further reduction in meat,” and instead Americans “need guidance to help them eat more fruits and vegetables along with higher-quality protein – like beef – and fewer ultra-processed, low-quality carbohydrate foods” and that “the DGAC continues to miss the point on what needs to be corrected.”
Seafood Nutrition Partnership encourages guidelines to include ‘all forms of seafood’
The DGAC’s recommendations reflect a “diverse, nutrient-dense diet,” seafood’s inclusion aligns with SNP’s “goal to make fish a regular part of American meals,” Linda Cornish, founder and president, Seafood Nutrition Partnership, told FoodNavigator-USA.
While the DGAC’s report did not specifically list specific nutrients found in seafood such as omega-3 fatty acids, EHA and DHA as a separate Dietary Reference Intake on nutrition label, Cornish suggests these should be communicated to consumers.
“While the DGAC’s scientific report does not directly address omega-3s, multiple studies show that the omega-3s found in fish and seafood can reduce the risk of heart disease, depression, dementia and arthritis. Fish and seafood also contain calcium, selenium, phosphorus, and minerals iron, zinc, iodine, magnesium and potassium,” Cornish said.
Yet, Cornish encourages the guidelines to include “all forms of seafood.”
“While current federal nutrition programs provide access to seafood and fish, in canned forms, we encourage any updates to federal nutrition programs to include all forms of seafood such as fresh, frozen, and prepared options, in addition to canned. Seafood is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, essential for brain growth and cognitive development. It is also associated with improved focus, memory and academic performance in children.
American Egg Board: Americans could consume more eggs
Eggs were highlighted as a nutrient-dense food in both the 2020 and 2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, Jen Houchins, director of nutrition research for The American Egg Board’s Egg Nutrition center, told FoodNavigator-US.
The organization commended the DGAC’s recognition of essential nutrients in eggs, particularly choline intake, an important nutrient for brain health, “because almost no Americans are achieving the recommended intake,” she said.
Houchins continued, “Data published by the 2025 DGAC confirm that eggs can be a valuable solution to help address dietary gaps for subgroups of the population, including children, pregnant women, and across the lifespan. Eggs provide high-quality protein that can be an especially valuable dietary addition for adolescent females and aging adults. Eggs are a leading food source of vitamin D across the population, a nutrient that most Americans do not get enough of. The DGAC correctly reported that it is difficult to reach the Adequate Intake for choline for those who do not eat eggs (or consume a dietary supplement).”
Although DGAC recommended intake reduction from the meat, poultry and egg subgroup for individuals consuming more than 2,200 calories a day, the recommendation in the subgroup “did not come from a reduction in eggs,” Houchins said.
However, Houchins emphasizes that “there is room for Americans to incorporate more eggs into their diets” as most Americans consume on average about half an egg per day, which is less than the American Heart Association’s recommendations of “one egg for health people, up to two eggs per day for healthy older Americans” and even more eggs for vegetarians.
