Many Iowans suffer from chronic health issues with 37% suffering form obesity. Will the new “MAHA” food pyramid actually help? The answer is yes, according to Dr. Rachel Poll. Poll is a functional medicine doctor at Delta Health in Clive, and has been recommending her own similar version of the new food pyramid to her patients for years, and the results are striking with many reversing chronic health issues.
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This week the Department of Health and Human Services published a new version of the 1980s food pyramid, but the change is striking with them literally flipping much of it upside down. Healthy fats are good, red meat is on top, and grains are deemphasized. Poll said her patients have been eating a similar version of this recommended diet for years and the results she sees are irrefutable.
The Evolution of The Food Pyramid!
The newly released food pyramid flips the old model on its head to emphasize protein, whole foods, healthy fats, and reduced processed foods, with grains and added sugars playing a much smaller role than in past dietary guidance. It’s part of the 2025–2030 federal nutrition guidelines and represents one of the biggest shifts in U.S. nutrition policy in decades — but it’s also controversial among nutrition experts.
Key Features of the New Pyramid
🔼 Top (Eat Most / Emphasized)
- Protein sources — including meat, poultry, seafood.
- Full-fat dairy — dairy products without added sugars are highlighted.
- Healthy fats — from whole foods like olives, nuts, seeds, avocados, and even traditional fats like butter and beef tallow are included as options.
- Vegetables and fruits — encouraged throughout the day.
🔽 Bottom (Eat Less)
- Whole grains — now at a smaller place in the pyramid compared with previous models.
- Highly processed foods — discouraged strongly.
- Added sugars — the new guidance suggests lowering added sugars to very minimal amounts (e.g., no more than about 10 grams per meal), with some recommendations saying “none is healthiest.”
