The U.S. government just released the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans, and as a clinic focused on gut health, metabolic health, and real food nutrition, we always pay attention to nutrition guidelines.
Anytime the conversation moves away from ultra-processed foods and back toward real food, that’s a win. Bonus points for finally talking about gut health; we’ve been waving that flag in Colorado for a long time.
But just because something is “progress” doesn’t mean it’s perfect. These new guidelines still manage to be a little confusing, a little contradictory, and not very practical for real life.
So let’s talk about it…Kore style.
The Protein Obsession (Confession: I’m Guilty Too)
I’ll be honest: I’ve been a little protein-obsessed lately too.
Just the other day I was joking about how much protein I could fit into my pocket lunch at the ski area. For the record, it was 32 grams.
The lineup:
- A bone broth packet (free hot water from the luxury ski café)
- A Chomps grass-fed beef stick (Costco classic)
- An IQ protein bar
Are these perfect, whole, farm-to-table foods? Nope.
Would I love to say I eat perfectly every day? Also nope.
I’m a busy mom of two who will absolutely prioritize a powder day over most things. Sometimes that means pocket snacks.
Here’s real life:
About 80% of the time, I aim to get my protein from high-quality, real food.
The other 20% of the time, I’m a budget-conscious ski bum who still cares about her health, her wallet, and keeping her quads strong so I can ski until I’m 90.
Yes, protein matters, especially if you’re:
- Lifting weights
- On a GLP-1 medication
- Or trying to preserve muscle as you age
But protein alone is not the goal.
Here’s the simple Kore rule:
Protein first.
Then color.
Protein builds the structure.
Plants run the system.
You need both.
What 30 Grams of Protein Per Meal Actually Looks Like
For most adults, aiming for ~30 grams of protein per meal is a great target for:
- Muscle health
- Blood sugar control
- Satiety
- Metabolic health
But most people don’t know what that actually looks like.
Easy visual:
A 4-ounce piece of chicken, fish, or meat is about the size and thickness of your palm (not including fingers). That usually gives you 25–30 grams of protein.
Now let’s make this practical.
Option 1: The Mediterranean Bowl (Easy to Pack)
- Palm-sized grilled chicken or turkey ≈ 28–30g protein
- ½ cup chickpeas ≈ 7g protein
- Big handfuls of cucumber, tomato, arugula, red onion
- Olive oil + lemon or vinaigrette
Option 2: The Power Salad
- Palm-sized salmon ≈ 30–35g protein
- Big bed of greens
- Roasted sweet potato or quinoa
- Pumpkin seeds or walnuts
- Olive oil-based dressing
Option 3: The “Ski Day” Packable Box
- 2 hard-boiled eggs ≈ 12g protein
- Palm-sized turkey or chicken ≈ 18–20g protein
- Hummus
- Carrots, peppers, snap peas
- Handful of olives
Option 4: The Plant-Forward Bowl
- 1 cup lentils ≈ 18g protein
- ½ cup quinoa ≈ 4g protein
- Palm-sized tofu or tempeh ≈ 12–16g protein
- Big pile of veggies
- Tahini or olive oil
Option 5: The Breakfast That Actually Holds You Over
- ¾–1 cup Greek yogurt ≈ 18–20g protein
- Scoop collagen or protein powder ≈ 10–15g protein
- Berries, flax, chia, nuts
Or:
- 3 eggs ≈ 18g protein
- Add cottage cheese or chicken sausage to get to ~30g
- Add greens, peppers, onions
Steak, Butter, Cheese, and Milk: Why This Is Where the Guidelines Get Confusing
Let’s start with the picture they’re painting.
When you put steak at the top of the pyramid, you’re basically telling people that this is where dinner should land most nights.
And that’s… not where we should be going.
On one hand, the guidelines correctly say saturated fat should stay under 10% of daily calories for heart health.
On the other hand, they visually elevate:
- Steak
- Butter
- Cheese
- Milk
As if these should be the main pillars of the daily diet.
From both a math and physiology standpoint, this does not add up.
One steak-and-butter-heavy meal, especially if you add cheese or dairy, can easily blow past your entire day’s saturated fat limit in one sitting.
They also recommend three servings of dairy per day. That’s… a lot of dairy.
Now, to be fair, dairy isn’t the villain.
Fermented dairy products like yogurt and some cheeses have been used for thousands of years to:
- Preserve milk
- Improve digestibility
- Lower lactose
- Support gut tolerance
And yes, butter (especially high-quality butter) supports the production of butyrate in the gut. Butyrate is a short-chain fatty acid that:
- Strengthens the gut lining
- Reduces inflammation
- Supports immune health
- Protects colon cells
So no, butter, steak, and cheese aren’t evil.
But dose, quality, and context matter.
There’s also a portion problem baked into the visuals.
They line up foods like:
- Butter
- Almonds
- Grapes
- Shrimp
As if they should be eaten in the same amount.
Let’s be real: butter is a condiment, not a food group.
And honestly, your top foods should not be:
- Cheese
- Steak
- Milk
When nutrition gets confusing, I always come back to the most studied dietary pattern in the world: the Mediterranean diet.
Do they eat steak, cheese, and butter? Yes.
Are they the foundation of the diet? Not even close.
That pattern looks like:
- Olive oil as the main fat
- Fish and legumes as primary proteins
- Dairy in modest amounts (often 1–2 servings, usually fermented)
- And lots of colorful plants
Saturated fat isn’t forbidden.
It’s just not the main character.
The Real Missed Opportunity: The Foods That Actually Heal
The true superfoods are still sitting on the sidelines:
- Beans
- Lentils
- Whole grains
- Nuts
- Seeds
These foods:
- Lower heart disease risk
- Lower diabetes risk
- Lower cancer risk
- Feed your gut microbiome
If we want a healthier country, these foods should be the foundation, not a side dish.
Why This Actually Matters
People aren’t unhealthy because they followed old guidelines too well.
They’re unhealthy because:
- Our food environment is flooded with ultra-processed foods
- These foods are engineered to be addictive
- They crowd out real food without us noticing
The Kore Take on Nutrition Guidelines
As a nutritionist, I’ll be the first to say it: there are a million people out there trying to give you advice or sell you something, and it can get really confusing, really fast.
So I always fall back on a few simple questions:
- Is this real food?
- Does it have real protein or real color that provides nutrients?
- Does it actually make me feel good?
The goal isn’t perfection. The goal is to nourish our bodies, and to build a healthy relationship with food that fuels us physically and sometimes emotionally too.
So please try not to get too caught up in the rhetoric of this confusing pyramid.
Stick to what we’ve always known.
Real food is what we were meant to eat.
Real food is what we should still be eating.
And most of us are just doing the best we can to put good meals together in a very busy world.
Sometimes it’s a perfect Mediterranean bowl.
Sometimes it’s pocket snacks on a chairlift.
Both can coexist. Contact us today to learn more.
