Ethan Lane, the vice president of government affairs at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, had even stronger words, adding, “The preview meeting of the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee this week stands out as one of the most out-of-touch, impractical, and elitist conversations in the history of this process."

Another hotly debated potential change for 2025 concerns alcohol consumption. The current guidelines suggest two drinks or fewer per day for men and one drink or fewer per day for women. In the full text document, the guidelines add, "Emerging evidence suggests that even drinking within the recommended limits may increase the overall risk of death from various causes, such as from several types of cancer and some forms of cardiovascular disease."