On December 10, the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee released its Scientific Report. This independent, evidence-based publication helps the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) develop the next dietary guidelines for all Americans.

Farm Sanctuary is thrilled to share that several of the Report’s recommendations align with the nutrition policy recommendations outlined in our Food System Shift Roadmap. Join us in celebrating the highlights of this Report, including:

• Support for plant-based proteins;
• Strong support for plant-based oils and spreads over butter;
• Support for culturally responsive and flexible diets, highlighting beans, peas, and other vegetables;
• Dropped support for cow’s milk as a primary beverage;

Why do the Dietary Guidelines matter?

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs) set the foundation for federal nutrition programs, which impact one in four Americans. They also serve as the go-to resource for health professionals nationwide.

What can you do about it?

The public comment period for the guidelines closes on February 10, 2025. Tell them Farm Sanctuary sent you, and share why you think plants and plant-based foods support healthy families, farmers, and communities.

What’s Farm Sanctuary doing about it?

From Capitol Hill to state legislatures and courthouses across the country, Farm Sanctuary continues to advocate for fair, plant-based food systems that benefit all of us: animals, people, and the planet. To stay involved, sign up for our e-newsletter!

Report Findings: Plants and Plant-Based Foods Support Nutritional Security

The Scientific Report provides data and recommendations to update the existing dietary guidelines. This year, the Report emphasizes how plant-forward options produce strong health outcomes:

• Plant-based diets are associated with reduced risks of chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers.
• Replacing butter with plant-based oils and spreads lower in unsaturated fats reduces cardiovascular disease risks.
• Plain drinking water, not dairy milk, is the primary beverage that Americans should consume.

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Plant-based foods are healthy, sustainable, and compassionate. The Report’s recommendations provide further evidence supporting dietary choices that are better for animals, people, and the planet.

Support for plant-based proteins

The 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee’s scientific report highlights the health benefits of plant-based diets, which are associated with reduced risks of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. It emphasizes that plant-based foods, including vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds, can provide essential nutrients and are linked to “more desirable health outcomes.”

The Report also suggests limiting total saturated fat intake and replacing it with unsaturated fat. “Evidence indicates that when reducing butter, processed and unprocessed red meat, and dairy, substitution or replacement with a wide range of plant-based food sources, including plant-based protein foods (e.g., beans, peas, and lentils), whole grains, vegetables, or monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA)- and PUFA-rich vegetable oils and spreads, is associated with cardiovascular disease risk reduction.”

Strong support for plant-based oils and spreads over butter

The Committee’s findings indicate that replacing butter with plant-based oils and spreads higher in unsaturated fats improves lipid profiles for lower cardiovascular disease risks.

“One of this Committee’s strongest findings was that replacing butter with plant-based oils and spreads higher in unsaturated fat improves lipid profiles for lower cardiovascular disease risk, which was based on evidence graded as strong. The evidence included 12 [randomized controlled trials] RCT and feeding studies comparing butter with MUFA- and PUFA-rich vegetable oils and spreads; importantly, this excludes vegetable-based spreads containing industrial artificial trans fats.”

Support for culturally responsive and flexible diets, highlighting beans, peas, and other vegetables

To improve healthy equity–a necessary step in achieving food and nutrition security for all Americans–the Committee promotes culturally responsive (or culturally tailored) interventions. The guidelines specifically showed how “Beans, Peas, Lentils, and DarkGreen Vegetables” could support meals that better reflect the diets, cultures, and practices of all Americans.

Dropped support for cow’s milk as primary beverage

According to the 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) report, plain drinking water is the primary beverage that Americans should consume. This science-backed recommendation contrasts with past Dietary Guidelines’ recommendations, which included dairy milk and juice as primary beverages.

Moreover, the scientific guidelines found little support for the health benefits of milk for adult or adolescent Americans. Evidence for potential benefits among children ages 2 through 5 was also found to have limited evidence.