Officially released in early January 2026 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) (championed during Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s tenure as Secretary of Health), the website is realfood.gov.
Key features:
  • Completely inverts the traditional pyramid (upside-down / inverted)
  • Top layer (widest, top recommendation):Protein, Dairy & Healthy Fats(protein, dairy & healthy fats) + Vegetables & Fruits(vegetables & fruits), including chicken, turkey, fish, eggs, avocado, whole milk, cheese, butter, beef tallow, nuts, etc.
  • Bottom layer (the tip, least emphasized):Whole Grains(whole grains), such as oats, whole-wheat bread, brown rice, etc.
  • Emphasizes “eating real food” (real food), avoiding highly processed foods, added sugars, and refined carbohydrates.
  • Protein intake is recommended to be raised to 1.2-1.6 g per kilogram of body weight, full-fat dairy is positively recommended (low-fat is no longer emphasized), and healthy fat sources include animal fats as well as avocado/olives, etc.
This is the complete opposite of the past 1992 Food Pyramid (with grains as the base) or the 2011 MyPlate, and it has sparked major controversy: some think it better fits the low-carb/high-protein trend, while others criticize it as favoring the meat/dairy industry.The image you posted is essentially the official, or official-based, new pyramid illustration, which has circulated widely on X (Twitter), Reddit, and news media (such as Live Science, CNN, The Hill).