How the New US Food Guide Differs From Canada’s

One thing U.S. and Canadian health authorities agree on is eating fruits and vegetables, but the official food guides in the two countries take a vastly different approach to the consumption of meat and fat.

The administration of U.S. President Donald released updated dietary guidelines for Americans last week while saying it ended “the war on protein.” The new recommendations include nutrient-dense protein from both animal and plant sources in every meal. It also de-villianizes saturated fat from full-fat dairy products and meat sources like beef tallow.

It’s a vastly different message from the one delivered by Health Canada, which emphasizes more plant-based and low-fat foods. Canada’s guide warns against consumption of saturated fat, which it says increases LDL-cholesterol, known as the “bad” cholesterol.

The guides differ not just in composition but also in format.

Canada’s Food Guide uses a plate divided into three sections while the 2026 U.S. guidelines use an inverted pyramid.

Here’s a look at the key differences between the U.S. and Canadian food recommendations.

US Guide

U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. introduced the 2025-2030 U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans on Jan. 7, delivering revised suggestions for a nutritious diet.

The new food pyramid has evolved greatly from previous government guides.

U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaks during a news conference at the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington on April 16, 2025. Alex Wong/Getty Images

The 1990s guide emphasized grains, recommending 6 to 11 servings. The 2011 and 2020 MyPlate guide showed a dinner plate divided evenly in four sections representing fruits, vegetables, grains, and protein with a glass of “dairy” on the side.

The new guide, however, emphasizes high-quality protein, including red meat, full-fat dairy, and healthy fats alongside fruit and vegetables.

The top of the pyramid is evenly divided with vegetables and fruits on one side and protein, dairy, and healthy fats like olive oil on the other. Whole grains are also encouraged but are at the bottom of the inverted pyramid, a vast departure from the guides of old.

The guide describes vegetables and protein as the foundation for healthy meals and suggests aiming for 0.54 grams to 0.73 grams of protein for each pound of body weight daily.

“Every meal must prioritize high-quality, nutrient-dense protein from both animal and plant sources, paired with healthy fats from whole foods such as eggs, seafood, meats, full-fat dairy, nuts, seeds, olives, and avocados,” the guidance says, adding it is “ending the war on healthy fats.”

The guide recommends two servings of fruit per day and two to four servings of whole grains such as oats, rice, or sourdough bread, and suggests “significantly reducing” the consumption of highly processed, refined carbohydrates such as crackers, and avoiding sugar.

Canada Guide

Canada’s guide appears as a dinner plate divided into three sections. The first section is fruits and vegetables and takes up half of the plate. The other half is equally divided between “protein foods” and whole grains. Dairy is not shown in the image, with the exception of yogurt. It also recommends making water “your drink of choice.”

While the guide doesn’t actively discourage eating meat, it does suggest consuming plant-based foods “more often.”

It acknowledges that “many animal-based foods are nutritious” but emphasizes that plant-based foods “typically result in higher intakes” of dietary fibre, which is linked to reduced LDL-cholesterol levels and a lower risk of heart disease, colon cancer, and type 2 diabetes.

“Patterns of eating that include animal-based foods should emphasize more plant-based foods, and promote animal-based foods that are lower in saturated fat, such as lean red meat including wild game, lower fat milk, lower fat yogurts, lower fat kefir, and cheeses lower in fat and sodium,” the guide says. “The intention is not to reduce total fat in the diet. Rather, it is to help reduce intakes of saturated fat, while encouraging foods that contain mostly unsaturated fat.”

Differences

The key differences between the two guides centre on meat and saturated fats.

While the United States is now actively promoting the consumption of red meat and full-fat dairy, both of which contain saturated fat, Canada’s guide differs, recommending low-fat dairy and more plant than animal proteins.

Canada’s guide says foods with little to no saturated fat are more nutritious.

“Replacing saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat can also lower the risk of cardiovascular disease,” it says, noting that a diet low in saturated fat has “beneficial effects on health.”

Canada also recommends a diet heavier on plant-based foods compared to the U.S. recommendation. While Canada says some meat consumption is acceptable, the new U.S. guidance describes animal-based proteins as vital, especially for children.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary told reporters during a press conference to introduce the new guide that the old low-protein recommendations are harmful, especially for children and youth.

“Kids need protein. The old protein guidelines were to prevent starvation and withering away,” he said. “These new protein guidelines are designed for American kids to thrive, and they’re based on science, not on dogma.”