WASHINGTON — The 2025 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee made health equity a priority in developing its scientific report, which was released Dec. 10.

As part of its health equity focus, the committee considered factors such as socioeconomic position, race, ethnicity and culture. 

“This report will help to ensure that the next edition of the Dietary Guidelines is based on current scientific evidence and medical knowledge, and that future guidelines factor in socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity and culture,” said Xavier Becerra, secretary for the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). “I want to thank the committee for all their hard work, as well as the American people for sharing their voice with us in this process. Together, we can help Americans enjoy a healthy diet and the health benefits that are possible as a result.”

HHS and the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) will receive public comments on the DGAC report for 60 days and will hold a public meeting on Jan. 16, 2025. HHS and USDA will consider the DGAC report while creating the next updated version of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which is updated every five years. The next version should be released late in 2025.

Dietary behaviors result from psychological, sociological, economic and sensory factors, all of which are influenced by culture, according to the DGAC report. Culturally responsive dietary inventions are designed to align with specific cultural practices, beliefs and preferences.

“The US population has become more racially and ethnically diverse during the past decade, highlighting the need to ensure that the Dietary Guidelines are representative of the country’s diverse populations and that community implementation appropriately reflects cultural preferences,” the report said.

The 2025 DGAC report found intakes of vitamin D, calcium, potassium and fiber were nutrients of public health concern due to underconsumption. Sodium, added sugars and saturated fat were nutrients of public health concern due to overconsumption. Added sugars should make up less than 10% of calories per day, as should saturated fat, according to the report.

The 2025 DGAC report found intakes of vegetables; fruits; dairy and fortified soy alternatives; seafood; nuts, seeds and soy products; and whole grains generally were lower than recommendations from the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Intakes of total grains, total protein foods, meat, poultry and eggs generally were at or above the recommendations. The committee recommended moving beans, peas and lentils to a subgroup of the protein foods group from a subgroup of the vegetable foods group, which would encourage plant sources of protein food, according to the committee.

The complete scientific report is available online at the Dietary Guidelines for Americans website.