Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has outlined a detailed plan to reintroduce cooking education to the public. In a recent interview with U.S. News, the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services announced that medical students will take cooking classes and then travel to communities to teach cooking skills using mobile units. The approximately 5,000 members of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps are currently enrolled in nutrition classes and developing teaching kitchens. A federal platform is set to share budget-friendly recipes aimed at promoting healthy eating and will feature instructional videos on grocery shopping and using kitchen tools.
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Kennedy identified a growing problem: "people have forgotten how to cook," which he discussed at a conference in March. While there may be some truth to this claim, critics note that the same government, which has provided dietary advice for 46 years, has frequently changed its recommendations without consistent results.
On January 7, Kennedy and Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins presented the 2025–2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The previous 453-page advisory report was dismissed by Kennedy as "incomprehensible," and a new, concise document was released instead, featuring an inverted food pyramid. In the new guidelines, red meat, whole milk, and healthy fats are prioritized, while grains are pushed to the top. Butter and beef tallow have been reinstated as approved options, and added sugars are recommended to be limited to 10 grams per meal. However, the definition of "highly processed" foods remains vague, with examples like canned soup and yogurt left unmentioned.
Despite the criticism, some aspects of the updated guidance may be beneficial, especially given the obesity crisis in America. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 35 percent of American adults self-report being obese, nearly double the 19 percent average among member countries. The U.S. has provided dietary guidelines every five years since 1980, initially warning against dietary fats, which led to a surge in "low-fat" products often replacing fat with sugar.
Historically, the Food Guide Pyramid was introduced in 1992, advocating for six to eleven servings of grains daily while downplaying fats. The foundation of the pyramid was influenced by lobbying from food industry producers, indicating that commercial interests affected dietary guidelines, rather than pure scientific evidence.
Over the years, various models like MyPyramid in 2005 and MyPlate in 2011 have attempted to modernize these recommendations. Eggs were once vilified, only to be included again, while the focus of concern shifted from fat to sugar. Meanwhile, adult obesity rates increased from around 23 percent in the early 1990s to 40 percent by 2021. This suggests that despite repeated revisions, the guidelines have failed to improve public health.
These guidelines affect daily meals for nearly 30 million children in schools and influence food options in programs like Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). They also govern meals provided to military personnel and veterans. In March, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services instructed hospitals to adjust their menus according to the new recommendations.
While supporters may advocate for the current guidelines, an incoming administration could reshape this entire nutrition framework. Given the U.S. government's track record of frequently changing dietary advice over the last 50 years, some argue that it should not be the sole authority managing a national nutrition initiative. Instead, it should join broader discussions on effective dietary practices.