What's changed, and what does it mean for the UK?
The internet has been going wild over RFK Jr's new food pyramid... And honestly? We're here for it. After decades of telling Americans to avoid saturated fat and load up on grains, the US just did something the UK hasn't had the guts to do.
They put protein, full-fat dairy, and healthy fats at the TOP of the pyramid.
Cheers to that!
- Butter and beef tallow are now recommended cooking fats
- Red meat is no longer the villain (THANK YOU)
- Full-fat milk is back in school lunches
- And ultra-processed foods? They're finally being called out for what they are – poison
New US Food Pyramid
VS
The UK Eatwell Guide
Meanwhile over here in the UK...
Our Eatwell Guide STILL tells people that a third of their diet should be starchy carbs like bread, pasta, and cereal.
It STILL recommends swapping butter for things like rapeseed oil (which is linked to inflammation, obesity, and basically every chronic disease on the rise).
And it STILL has zero mention of food quality – organic, grass-fed, regenerative farming? Doesn't exist in their world apparently.
Maybe the new food pyramid isn’t perfect in some people's eyes…
And maybe you’re not a fan of the politics over there…
But you cannot deny this is trying to move health guidelines in a BETTER direction by:
→ Increasing protein recommendations to 1.2-1.6g per kg of body weight
→ Prioritizing stable cooking fats from whole foods (goodbye seed oils)
→ Actually calling out ultra-processed foods, artificial dyes, and chemical preservatives
Compare that to the UK...
Less than 0.1% of the population actually follows the Eatwell Guide recommendations!
Why? Because it's nutritionally backwards and most people instinctively know it.
And they KNOW the panels that create these dietary guidelines are PACKED with people who have financial ties to Big Food and Big Pharma.
In the US, 9 out of 20 panel members had "high-risk conflicts of interest" with companies like Nestle, Pfizer, and Coca-Cola.
One member received £240,000 in grants from Eli Lilly alone.
And in the UK? When they relaunched the Eatwell Guide in 2016, the majority of the external reference group came from food industry bodies.
The reality is this…
A healthy population doesn't need as much medication.
A healthy population doesn't buy as much processed food.
So there's zero financial incentive for these corporations to actually fix the problem.
Which is why the US flipping the pyramid – despite all the criticism – is actually a pretty big deal.
It shows that maybe, just maybe, things are starting to shift.
So what should YOU do?
Stop waiting for the UK government to figure it out…
Take sovereignty over your own health.
Prioritize nutrient-dense, protein-rich animal foods from regenerative farms – grass-fed meat, organ meats, full-fat dairy, eggs.
Cut out the ultra-processed junk and seed oils.
Lead by example.
And who knows…
We might get a new food pyramid of our own soon!
- The APE Team